Four years after the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, seniors and people with disabilities continue to enjoy lower costs and greater benefits because of the law’s historic reforms. In 2013 alone, 296,015 seniors and people with disabilities in Texas saved $271 million, an average of $916 per beneficiary, on their prescription drug purchases. Because of the Affordable Care Act’s expansion of free preventive services, last year an estimated 2,400,000 Texans with Medicare were able to take advantage of at least one preventive service with no cost-sharing.
“The Affordable Care Act is protecting the well-being and the wallets of seniors and the disabled in Texas,” said Congresswoman Johnson. “In 2013 alone, 4.3 million Medicare beneficiaries, including more than 290,000 beneficiaries in Texas, have seen dramatic savings on their prescription drugs. The annual checkups and other free preventive services available because of this historic law have enabled seniors to look after themselves, without having to look out for their pocketbooks as well.”
The Affordable Care Act makes Medicare prescription drug coverage more affordable by gradually closing the gap in coverage. In the past, beneficiaries had to pay the full cost of their prescriptions out of pocket, before catastrophic coverage for prescriptions took effect—the so-called “donut hole.” The law also made certain preventive services available free of charge, eliminating coinsurance and the Part B deductible for recommended preventive services, including many cancer screenings and other essential benefits.
“Four years after the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, millions of Americans can now feel a new sense of security, both health security and a new security in their budgets as well,” added Congresswoman Johnson. “Republicans should stop trying to tear down the Affordable Care Act, wasting valuable time in Congress by voting more than 50 times to repeal the law rather than tackling issues that can help all Americans, like jobs or immigration reform.”
