Part D Drug Premiums to Decrease in 2012
- By BSTQ Staff
The average monthly premium for Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage will decline in 2012, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The average monthly drug plan in 2012 will cost about $30, approximately $1 lower than 2011 averages. In addition, nearly 900,000 Medicare beneficiaries whose prescription drug purchases place them in the so-called “doughnut hole” have benefited from the new 50 percent discount on covered name-brand drugs.
“The marketplace created by the Medicare Part D structure continues to be vibrant and highly competitive,” said Mary R. Grealy, president of the Healthcare Leadership Council. “To succeed, Part D plans have to keep premiums affordable and provide value, and seniors are benefiting.”