( It's a lot of money. About 85 % o...)Many American senior citizens fall into the “Doughnut Hole”!,Health

"It's a lot of money."

About 85 % of the cost of Diane's prescriptions until last year was covered by the retiree drug coverage through his former employer.But his former company, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, changed to a Part D plan in January so it could get federal subsidies for it.

Diane Murphy has since gotten through the doughnut hole by spending $3,600 of the couple's own money; now they have to pay only 5 percent of her drug costs until the end of December. One month's supply of Copaxone now costs them just $68.

Part D is well worth its cost for the Murphys. Diane gets about $20,000 worth of drugs annually, so even with the doughnut hole Medicare covers about 80 % of their drug bill. An average of $24 per month is the premium for Part D plans. Seniors can shell out more for plans exclusive of the coverage gap. But only 6 of the 45 stand-alone Part D plans sold here pay for generic drugs during the doughnut hole and coverage of brand-name prescriptions is by only one, Humana Complete.

Michael Marchand, a Seattle spokesman for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services”By the time most seniors reach the doughnut hole they will have received at least $1,500 in benefits through Part D — an expense they otherwise would have borne themselves.”

"Don't get caught up on how much you paid last month," Marchand said. "You really have to look at what the program provides for you during the course of the year."

Enrollment between Nov. 15 and Dec. 31 for Part D plans, when seniors can sign up for the first time or change plans. It would be better for some seniors to go for more expensive plans that don't have the hole, or with plans that cover all the drugs they take.

As for the Starks, they're too disappointed to prepare for open enrollment, said their daughter-in-law, Meg Stark. The couple lives on $2,400 , Grover Stark's Burlington Northern railroad pension. Once a month his wife go
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