Today national health care reform took a step closer to ensuring access to affordable medicines when Senator John D. Rockefeller IV (WV) introduced the Affordable Access to Prescription Medications Act of 2009. This legislation would cap monthly out-of-pocket costs for medications – including drugs under Medicare Part D as well as those in the private insurance market. Read
The Affordable Access to Prescription Medications Act would help control this cost-sharing system and create a monthly $200 per medication cap on all out-of-pocket prescription drug costs, and a monthly $500 per person cap for those taking more than one medication. Many health care reform proposals seek to cap yearly out-of-pocket drug costs, but this legislation takes it one step further by capping monthly out-of-pocket drugs costs. It will improve access to care and make important medications more affordable to those who need them most.
Find out more about our efforts to limit out-of-pocket prescription drug costs.
5 comments:
This sounds like a nice move in the right direction. However, how would it figure into a situation where prescription insurance coverage itself is capped by the insurance company.
For instance, my coverage is limited to $1500 per year. This obviously doesn't cover any DMD, nor all of the rest of my drugs in total.
Prescription coverage is not mandated in my state so there are no regulations as to how it must be structured.
But having out-of-pocket expenses theoretically limited to $6000 each year is a move in the correct direction.
The MS Society should oppose this legislation! I have MS. The drugs we are able to use to treat this disease cost much more than $200 per month.
Common sense says this legislation would eliminate the drugs we need in a very short time. Companies won't be able to supply them and the government(taxpayers/my neighbors) can't afford to pay for every drug needed for chronic diseases.
Thank you Senator Rockefeller I do hope this is included in the health care bill that finally passes. It's a sad day that young americans with MS and other progressive diseases can't afford drugs that can make them more reliably active with fewer relapses. And maintain their active life with decrease progression of disability.It's just plain common sense---they'll be able to work longer and need more care much later if at all. and
I agree with Lisa, prescription insurance plan coverage that limits the benefits to $1,500 or $2,500 per year cause those of us with MS, and like me with more, a huge financial burden. I have gone without my medications.
When we are forced to go without medications because the insurance coverage is capped, we end up physically suffering disease progression. There are more doctor visits and hospitalizations if we cannot take care of ourselves.
Prescription coverage should be mandated and people should be able to afford the medical treatment. If prescription coverage is not mandated, I think more employers will opt to provide these low capped or no coverage plans so they can save money.
My second concern is will this out of pocket expenses limitation cause the cost of drugs to go up so that a drug we can get today for a copay or something we have to cover ourselves that may cost $50 or $60 will cost at least $200?
I would like to make sure this legislation will protect us from the insurance companies raising prices and taking advantage of it.
Thanks for this post, I have got so many useful information about cheap prescription drugs.This is one of the great step of national health care reform.
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