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NEW AARP Report: Impact of Historic Medicare Rx Out-of-Pocket Spending Cap on Oregon Seniors
Posted on 09/09/24
AARP has released a report that shows an estimated 29,000 Oregonians on Medicare prescription drug plans will see savings thanks to a new out-of-pocket cap that starts January 1, 2025. The savings are made possible by a provision in the 2022 prescription drug law that AARP championed which caps out-of-pocket prescription drug costs every year, beginning at $2,000 next year, for America’s 56 million Medicare drug plan enrollees.
The AARP report analyzes the number of enrollees who will benefit from the cap by state, age, gender, and race between 2025 and 2029. The findings indicate that Medicare drug plan enrollees nationwide who reach the new out-of-pocket cap will see average savings of roughly $1,500, or 56%, in 2025 for their prescription drugs.
“AARP fought hard for the prescription drug law of 2022 because we knew it would provide crucial relief for Medicare enrollees here in Oregon and across the country by lowering drug prices and out-of-pocket costs,” said Bandana Shrestha, State Director of AARP Oregon, which serves more than 500,000 members age 50 and older in the state “Knowing they won’t pay a dime over $2,000 next year – maximum – for prescription drugs they get at the pharmacy gives nearly 29,000 Oregon seniors on Medicare drug plans some peace of mind as they struggle to keep up with rising costs for other everyday essentials like housing, groceries and utilities.”
Other findings from the report include:
· Between 3 and 4 million Part D plan enrollees nationwide are estimated to benefit from the new out-of-pocket cap every year between 2025 and 2029, rising from an estimated 28,990 in 2025 to 37,769 by 2029 in Oregon.
“Limiting how much seniors on Medicare drug plans pay for prescription drugs every year builds on other new and important cost-saving measures, such as capping insulin co-pays at $35 a month and making many vaccines, such as shingles and pneumonia, free,” said Shrestha.
Learn more about the impact of the new Medicare Part D out-of-pocket spending cap and view the full report here.
About AARP
AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to the more than 100 million Americans 50-plus and their families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also works for individuals in the marketplace by sparking new solutions and allowing carefully chosen, high-quality products and services to carry the AARP name. As a trusted source for news and information, AARP produces the nation's largest circulation publications, AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org/about-aarp/, www.aarp.org/español or follow @AARP, @AARPenEspañol and @AARPadvocates on social media.
