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For a printable version of this information, click here.
The Affordable Care Act – the national health care law – gives seniors the security they need
and important new benefits.
Signed into law in March of 2010, it will save money for seniors and ensure people with Medicare can see the doctor they know and trust.
Here are five ways the law helps you:
- Get cheaper prescription drugs. If you're in the donut hole, or the gap in what Medicare
pays for prescription drugs, you will receive a 50 percent discount when buying brand-name
prescription drugs covered by Medicare Part D. The discount is applied automatically when
you fill your prescription—you don't have to do anything to get it. In 2011, these changes
saved seniors $2.1 billion in discounts nationally and $6.3 million right here in Maine. By 2020, the donut hole will be closed.
- Get free preventive services. Medicare now covers certain preventive services, like
mammograms or colonoscopies, for free. You also can get a free annual wellness visit.
- Doctors are supported to better coordinate your care. Many doctors, hospitals, and
other providers are taking advantage of new programs to help them work better as teams
to provide you the highest quality care possible. They are working to get you the care you need at the time you need it.
- The Affordable Care Act fights fraud and strengthens Medicare. In 2011, health care fraud prevention and enforcement efforts saved a record-breaking $4.1 billion. Thanks to these
efforts and other ACA reforms, the life of the Medicare Trust fund will be extended.
- Medicare coverage is protected. Under the new health reform law, your existing
Medicare covered benefits can't be reduced or taken away. As always, you will be able to
choose your own doctors.
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