Tag: Medicare Part D

Affordable Care Act, Healthcare Reform, Prescription Drugs
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The Donut Hole is Closed!

The year 2019 is here, and there is some good news to those who have had experience with the Medicare Part D “donut hole.” Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, the “donut hole” has been on track to close by 2020. Due to the passing of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, which stopped last year’s nine-hour shutdown of the federal government, the Part D “donut hole” has actually closed a year ahead of schedule. Medicare, one of the publicly funded health insurance programs for people over 65 or people younger than 65 with a qualifying […]

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Government Programs
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All About Government Programs

One often overlooked resource on the NeedyMeds website is our listings of Government Programs. These programs are state-specific, and help needy families and individuals with the cost of healthcare. We regularly update this database, which includes State-Sponsored Programs, Medicare Information, Medicaid Sites, State Health Insurance Assistance Program information, and Federal Poverty Level and Tax Return Request Form guidelines and information. If you are not having luck finding a PAP or co-pay program for your medication or particular disease, there may be a Government Program there to help.   State Sponsored Programs Programs that are created, sponsored, or funded by a […]

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Government Programs
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All About Medicare Savings Programs

In 1965 President Johnson and the United States Congress created Medicare as part of the Social Security Act. A national program, Medicare is a health insurance program for people 65 years of age or older along with some people under age 65 with disabilities or end stage renal disease. It is broken down into four different parts. • Part A is hospital insurance – covering expenses for hospital care, nursing facility care, and home health services. • Part B is medical insurance for outpatient hospital care and doctor’s services. Unlike Part A, Medicare Part B is optional. • Part C, […]

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Patient Assistance Programs
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Applying to a Patient Assistance Program (PAP)

Today many Americans find themselves struggling to pay for their medications, unfortunately leading to difficult choices between paying for food, rent, or prescriptions. Luckily pharmaceutical companies and other organizations are aware of this fact, and doing what they can to help alleviate costs for those struggling financially. For many drugs that may seem too expensive to afford there are Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs). These programs offer the drugs at little to no cost to the consumer.   Finding a Program for your Medication: To apply for a PAP, first make sure one is available for your medication. You can look […]

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Prescription Drugs
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What on Earth is the Donut Hole? A Brief Explanation of Medicare Part D and the “Donut Hole”

Today, we are hoping to provide answers to some of your questions about the Donut Hole! Tell us about your experiences. We would love to hear from you.  1.    What is the donut hole? To answer that question, we first need to understand Medicare and Part D. According to Jonathan Blum, Deputy Administrator and Director for the Center of Medicare at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people 65 or older, people under 65 with certain disabilities, and people with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure).  People with Medicare have the […]

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About Us

Welcome to the NeedyMeds Voice! We look forward to presenting you with timely, provocative pieces on healthcare reform, patient advocacy, medication and healthcare access, and other health-related news. Our goals are to educate, enlighten, and elucidate; together, we will try to make sense of the myriad and ongoing healthcare-related changes in the U.S. today.