24
Feb
15

Medicare Saves $15B On Prescription Drug Costs. Thanks, ObamaCare

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Sarah Ferris: Medicare Drug Costs Shrinking Under ObamaCare

ObamaCare has led to substantial savings in prescription drug costs and a strong increase in the use of preventive services, administration officials announced Tuesday. “Our parents and grandparents on Medicare saved more than $15 billion on prescription drugs since President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act in 2010,” Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell said. Those savings amount to nearly $1,600 per person enrolled in Medicare — an increase from about $1,400 in average savings last year. Tackling prescription drug costs has been a major goal of the Obama administration, pledging to close the coverage gap, known as the “doughnut hole,” by 2020. Because

Medicare drug plans have a limit on how much they pay for medication, beneficiaries are forced to pay for their treatments out of pocket before their catastrophic coverage kicks in. Under ObamaCare, recipients in the “doughnut hole” receive a rebate or discount from the government to help them save on prescription drug costs until the gap can ultimately be closed. Burwell also highlighted the growing use of preventive healthcare coverage under ObamaCare — another top issue for the administration. Many provider groups only signed onto healthcare reform with the promise that preventive care would be a central tenet. Nearly 40 million people have used at least one of Medicare’s free preventive services in the last year alone, the secretary said. Nearly 5 million enrollees received the annual wellness exam.

More here

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123 Responses to “Medicare Saves $15B On Prescription Drug Costs. Thanks, ObamaCare”


  1. 1 desertflower
    February 24, 2025 at 2:13 pm

    damn Obama:) TY!!!

  2. 19 57andfemale
    February 24, 2025 at 2:22 pm

    • 20 jackiegrumbacher
      February 24, 2025 at 2:54 pm

      This is a good article, 57, and a sad one. To be raised to live your whole life in fear of change and condemned for questioning and doubt. Why do people willingly surrender their intelligence to an ideology that paints other people as the enemy. This is like choosing to life in darkness.

      • 21 0388jojothecat
        February 24, 2025 at 4:27 pm

        I know jackiegrumbacher and paint fellow AMERICAN’s as the enemy. If the Democratic party painted Republicans as the enemy I could not belong…..they only paint them as crazy and doing treasonous things which is TRUE! But I don’t think the everyday republican as treasonous only crazy to keep voting for these people. I just don’t get it. Listening to The Mic 92.1 Madison on iheart radio and they are protesting Scott Walker and the Republicans who will most likely sign Right to Work For Less legislation and talk of another recall. What is wrong with Wisconsonites who did not get out the vote to get ride of Walker. Please someone explain it to me.

  3. 22 GGail
    February 24, 2025 at 2:23 pm

    Chips, there’s an Obamacare cure for jealousy :-)

  4. 35 Bill R.
    February 24, 2025 at 2:23 pm

    Does anyone have the answer to this question? If the Rs shut down DHS funding, what happens to airport security screeners? Are they laid off? What about FBI and Secret Service agents?

    • 36 Nena20409
      February 24, 2025 at 2:28 pm

      Nope…..100K including those you’ve mentioned are Legally considered Essential positions…..therefore, under the law, they must work without pay……
      30K DHS workers will be forced off their jobs.

    • 37 Linda
      February 24, 2025 at 2:29 pm

      30,000 will be furloughed and 195,000 have to work without pay.

      • 38 jackiegrumbacher
        February 24, 2025 at 2:58 pm

        This is just monstrous because the creeps in Congress who vote to “furlough” 30,000 and cause over 100 thousand others to work without pay still collect their big salaries and don’t have to worry about their own rents, mortgages and grocery bills. They are heartless sadists who don’t even understand the meaning of walking in another person’s shoes.

    • 40 Bill R.
      February 24, 2025 at 3:14 pm

      Thanks for the responses folks.

  5. 41 Liberal Librarian
    February 24, 2025 at 2:26 pm

    I could be in the worse mood - and I was in a pretty foul mood most of the morning - and then I do Storytime and everything is right with the world. It’s my therapy.

    Morning, all.

  6. 45 Nena20409
    February 24, 2025 at 2:29 pm

    Wonderful Post NW……your Heath Care Posts are Legendary.
    DF has the FURST Au :star:
    Sorry, Lady Chips ;)

  7. 47 Nerdy Wonka
    February 24, 2025 at 2:36 pm

  8. February 24, 2025 at 2:43 pm

  9. 54 vcprezofan2
    February 24, 2025 at 2:59 pm

    Another good ‘find’ by Smartypants. This time (I don’t normally) I brought over the video along with the link.

    http://immasmartypants.blogspot.ca/2015/02/dale-hansen-does-it-again.html

    • 55 bella2758
      February 24, 2025 at 4:32 pm

      WOW Mr. Hansen, you spoke the truth.

    • 56 0388jojothecat
      February 24, 2025 at 4:37 pm

      TY very proud of Mr. Hansen that I know took guts to go one television and point out HE was once raised to be hateful but grew up met a lot of people from other places, other ethnicities, etc., and found out that people he never knew were good people.

      • 57 vcprezofan2
        February 24, 2025 at 4:56 pm

        Hi Jojo! SP’s post gave a link to one other time before when Hansen spoke out on a topical issue re discrimination.

  10. 58 Nena20409
    February 24, 2025 at 3:00 pm

    I like this little 2 minutes plus take by Seth Meyers.

  11. 60 57andfemale
    February 24, 2025 at 3:09 pm

    • 61 EricFive
      February 24, 2025 at 4:21 pm

      Does it come with freedom fries?

      • 62 57andfemale
        February 24, 2025 at 4:31 pm

        and a side order of batshit crazy sauce

      • 63 0388jojothecat
        February 24, 2025 at 4:44 pm

        I believe we had that “Freedom” plan:
        - Freedom to die
        - Freedom to go to the emergency room for all treatments
        - Freedom to be kicked off your insurance for pre-existing condition
        - Freedom to go broke, lose your home, job, and live on the street cause you can’t pay your medical bills
        - Freedom for insurance premiums to go higher than the market can bear

  12. 64 Nena20409
    February 24, 2025 at 3:12 pm

    Another Take down…..done well.

  13. 65 donna dem 4 obama
    February 24, 2025 at 3:16 pm

    • 66 jackiegrumbacher
      February 24, 2025 at 3:45 pm

      I don’t know how this warped little man can keep talking with so much of his foot in his mouth. What an ugly little soul.

    • 67 bella2758
      February 24, 2025 at 4:35 pm

      Always believe Ron Paul was a dirty old racists. And his son is a racists too.

    • 68 0388jojothecat
      February 24, 2025 at 4:47 pm

      Wow….PBO really unleashed the ugly in some people and especially in the GOP. Good luck AnnRand Paul in getting minorities to vote for you.

  14. 69 Nena20409
    February 24, 2025 at 3:19 pm

  15. 70 Nena20409
    February 24, 2025 at 3:22 pm

  16. 71 vcprezofan2
    February 24, 2025 at 3:25 pm

    My life/mind has been so poisoned in this village that stuff like this actually catches my eyes when I’m checking out the news. smh Thankfully, it still doesn’t *mean* anything to me.

    Adnan Januzaj has had a torrid time at Manchester United this season under Louis van Gaal.

    The Belgium international was proclaimed as ‘the new Johan Cruyff’ when he emerged last term, but now it is thought that the teenager will be shipped out of Old Trafford in the summer.

    The Manchester Evening News claim that Januzaj will be offered to Everton in a swap deal that will see Seamus Coleman go the other way.
    …….. //

    http://thesportsmash.co.uk/man-utd-and-everton-in-unbelievable-swap-deal/?pub_id=44&w_id=&pd_id=&link_id=115450

  17. 74 RanMan (@ranman09)
    February 24, 2025 at 3:33 pm

  18. 77 Liberal Librarian
    February 24, 2025 at 3:33 pm

    Ok good people, I just restarted my blog. It has a new address and a new name. Take a gander if you can.

    http://awritingcorner.com/2015/02/24/novels-in-progress-is-dead-long-live-a-writing-corner/

  19. 78 Nerdy Wonka
    February 24, 2025 at 3:33 pm

    • 79 Nena20409
      February 24, 2025 at 3:40 pm

      1001% Ron Paul was the author of those UGLY News Letters……with Racist, Bigoted and Distorted periodicals.
      Rand Paul tries to hide his ugliness too……but so long as his Daddy continues to Snake his Racism publicly, 318.9M eyes are doubly watching him and his son.

      • 80 0388jojothecat
        February 24, 2025 at 4:51 pm

        Didn’t Ron Paul vote AGAINST going to WAR?!!!! Isn’t that’s why all those young people were following him because he was one of the few people who voted against going to the IRAQ/AFGHAN war? What the hell???

    • 81 Nena20409
      February 24, 2025 at 3:52 pm

    • 82 LDS
      February 24, 2025 at 4:04 pm

      NW, you nailed it as usual with these tweets.
      These are the evil games they play and that is why I am so glad I lived to see social media push back these racist and ignorant remarks with facts.
      The media have no intention of doing anything about it.
      My hope is the next generation of real journalists will be professionals who understand the importance of truth and character.

      • 83 EricFive
        February 24, 2025 at 4:26 pm

        They will have to be underground. No room for truth and character in the corporate owned MSM. I second your appreciation for social media, we would be absolutely screwed without it.

  20. 84 Nena20409
    February 24, 2025 at 3:36 pm

  21. 85 vcprezofan2
    February 24, 2025 at 3:36 pm

    Sigh!

    White House stands by VA chief after false military service claim
    By Martin Matishak - 02/24/15 02:09 PM EST

    The White House on Tuesday gave a strong endorsement of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald, following his admission that he made a false statement about his military record.

    McDonald is “somebody who understands firsthand the sacrifice that our men and women in uniform make on a regular basis,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said, citing his graduation from West Point and years of service in Army’s 82nd Airborne division.

    “He’s also somebody who understands firsthand about why what he said about his service was wrong,” he added, saying it was “appropriate for him to apologize.”
    That said, there “is no reason to think that the mistake that he made should interfere” with McDonald’s ability to lead the VA, according to Earnest.

    ………………………… //

    http://thehill.com/policy/defense/233657-white-house-stands-by-va-chief-after-false-military-service-claim

    • 86 meta
      February 24, 2025 at 3:43 pm

  22. 88 meta
    February 24, 2025 at 3:38 pm

  23. 96 jackiegrumbacher
    February 24, 2025 at 3:43 pm

    This morning I was listening to a presentation on meditation from an Indian swami at our local college and was impressed with what he said about ‘distractions’ because it so much reflects our every day lives in this country. Our minds have difficulty focusing because they’re always so distracted by the thousands of sensations, noises and shiny objects in our environment that we literally can’t think straight. We try to focus on accomplishing something good and positive, like providing health care to millions of uninsured Americans, and our media intentionally pings us with so much misinformation, flashing lights, bleeps and incessant noise that we lose track of what’s both real and true. Americans in general are allowing the GOP propaganda to mess with their brains and their ability to think on every important subject facing us today. It’s something all of us have to fight every hour of every day because it won’t ever let up. I think that meditative focus is something PBO has either learned or uses intuitively to keep him moving forward. That’s one of the things that irritates his enemies and pushes him to great accomplishments. And it’s one more thing he’s modeling for us that we need to pay attention to and learn from.

  24. 97 Nerdy Wonka
    February 24, 2025 at 3:44 pm

    YAY!

  25. 98 Nerdy Wonka
    February 24, 2025 at 3:47 pm

  26. 101 57andfemale
    February 24, 2025 at 3:47 pm

  27. 102 JER
    February 24, 2025 at 3:48 pm

    LIVE NOW: Vice President Biden Speaks at the 2015 Meeting of the National Association of Attorneys General - Audio Only http://youtu.be/xlVcz-sGEe8

  28. 104 Nerdy Wonka
    February 24, 2025 at 3:51 pm

    He’s so AWESOME.

  29. 105 Nena20409
    February 24, 2025 at 3:53 pm

    • 106 bella2758
      February 24, 2025 at 4:48 pm

      Will we see Joe Manchin standing before the press saying that President Obama was wrong in vetoing the pipeline, or will he be on FOX?

  30. 107 Nena20409
    February 24, 2025 at 3:56 pm

    American Exceptionalism?
    Hmm?

    Shameful in the 21st Century.

  31. 110 Liberal Librarian
    February 24, 2025 at 3:58 pm

    And if anyone needs a music break: http://awritingcorner.com/2015/02/24/tuesday-afternoon-music-break-burt-bacharach/

  32. 111 Linda
    February 24, 2025 at 4:17 pm

    What a Clown.

    McConnell says he will hold a vote to override the VETO, wasting more time and money.

    • 112 Nena20409
      February 24, 2025 at 4:24 pm

      In the meantime…..DHS is about to Run Out of Funding?

      Sheesh……these people Really are evil.

    • 113 Vicki
      February 24, 2025 at 4:28 pm

      Yes on March 3.
      To Overule PBO on domestic policy.
      Same day Bibi will speak to the Congress about US foreign policy.

      We will see if there are any Democrats still standing with Our President.

  33. 115 Nena20409
    February 24, 2025 at 4:22 pm

    This Happened and ONCE Again, The News Buried Buried it……and The Mall of America was The Biggest Headliner this Week?

  34. 117 Bill R.
    February 24, 2025 at 4:31 pm

    Two bits says the House won’t pass it until a shutdown has happened first. They are total idiots.

  35. 119 Linda
    February 24, 2025 at 4:31 pm

    Yesterday’s vote on DHS was nothing more than a stunt.

    There were only 93 Senators voted.

  36. 121 57andfemale
    February 24, 2025 at 4:33 pm

  37. 122 Nena20409
    February 24, 2025 at 4:36 pm

    And NASDAQ isn’t that far behind……. ;)

  38. 123 donna dem 4 obama
    February 24, 2025 at 4:42 pm

    And on a lighter more animal awesomeness note:


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