HHS release on August 10, 2010:
Affordable Care Act Offers One-Time, $250 Rebate Checks for Eligible Medicare Beneficiariesin the Medicare Part D Donut Hole
Today, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that the third round of one-time, tax-free $250 rebate checks have been mailed to eligible Medicare beneficiaries whose drug costs are so high they have reached the Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage gap known as the “donut hole.” Experts estimate that more than a quarter of Part D enrollees hit the donut hole and often stop following their drug regimen as a result of the added cost burden. The $250 rebates will go a long way in preventing seniors from having to make such difficult and almost certainly harmful health decisions. Across the country, more than 750,000 Medicare beneficiaries have already received checks this year, and more beneficiaries will be receiving checks in the coming months as they enter the coverage gap.