NPR: doughnut hole https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=593193326 doughnut hole en Copyright 2024 NPR - For Personal Use Only Story API Shim 1.2.24 Tue, 27 May 2025 20:19:52 -0400 https://media.npr.org/images/podcasts/primary/npr_generic_image_300.jpg?s=200 NPR: doughnut hole https://www.npr.org/tags/593193326/doughnut-hole Medicare's Uncapped Drug Costs Take A Big Bite From Already Tight Budgets Unlike many private health plans, Medicare has no cap on out-of-pocket expenses for prescription drugs in Part D. As the cost of specialty drugs rises, some Medicare patients owe thousands of dollars. Wed, 27 Mar 2019 05:00:20 -0400 https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/03/27/706730906/medicares-uncapped-drug-costs-take-a-big-bite-from-already-tight-budgets https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/03/27/706730906/medicares-uncapped-drug-costs-take-a-big-bite-from-already-tight-budgets

Unlike many private health plans, Medicare has no cap on out-of-pocket expenses for prescription drugs in Part D. As the cost of specialty drugs rises, some Medicare patients owe thousands of dollars.

]]> Michelle Andrews To Lower Your Medicare Drug Costs, Ask Your Pharmacist For The Cash Price Sometimes a drug plan's copay is higher than the cash price, but insurance rules keep pharmacists from telling Medicare beneficiaries unless they ask. Tue, 29 May 2018 05:00:00 -0400 https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/05/29/614556060/to-lower-your-medicare-drug-costs-ask-your-pharmacist-for-the-cash-price https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/05/29/614556060/to-lower-your-medicare-drug-costs-ask-your-pharmacist-for-the-cash-price

Sometimes a drug plan's copay is higher than the cash price, but insurance rules keep pharmacists from telling Medicare beneficiaries unless they ask.

(Image credit: Scott Olson)

]]> Susan Jaffe Lifting Medicare's Annual Limits On Physical Therapy Helps Ease Patients' Pain Last month's congressional budget deal included some benefits for Medicare recipients that may reduce their drug expenses and increase the coverage for certain therapies. Tue, 13 Mar 2018 14:23:00 -0400 https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/03/13/592983651/lifting-medicare-s-annual-limits-on-physical-therapy-helps-ease-patients-pain https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/03/13/592983651/lifting-medicare-s-annual-limits-on-physical-therapy-helps-ease-patients-pain

Last month's congressional budget deal included some benefits for Medicare recipients that may reduce their drug expenses and increase the coverage for certain therapies.

]]> Susan Jaffe