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Sarah Ferris: Medicare Drug Costs Shrinking Under ObamaCare
ObamaCare has led to substantial savings in prescription drug costs and a strong increase in the use of preventive services, administration officials announced Tuesday. “Our parents and grandparents on Medicare saved more than $15 billion on prescription drugs since President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act in 2010,” Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell said. Those savings amount to nearly $1,600 per person enrolled in Medicare — an increase from about $1,400 in average savings last year. Tackling prescription drug costs has been a major goal of the Obama administration, pledging to close the coverage gap, known as the “doughnut hole,” by 2020. Because
Medicare drug plans have a limit on how much they pay for medication, beneficiaries are forced to pay for their treatments out of pocket before their catastrophic coverage kicks in. Under ObamaCare, recipients in the “doughnut hole” receive a rebate or discount from the government to help them save on prescription drug costs until the gap can ultimately be closed. Burwell also highlighted the growing use of preventive healthcare coverage under ObamaCare — another top issue for the administration. Many provider groups only signed onto healthcare reform with the promise that preventive care would be a central tenet. Nearly 40 million people have used at least one of Medicare’s free preventive services in the last year alone, the secretary said. Nearly 5 million enrollees received the annual wellness exam.
More here
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Thanks Mitch! @StevenTDennis: Uninsured rate cut in half in 1 year in Mitch McConnell's Kentucky http://t.co/ebsQFvrU8T”
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BWD (@theonlyadult) February 24, 2015Medicare drug costs shrinking under ObamaCare: ow.ly/JAOda
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The Hill (@thehill) February 24, 2015****
The COMPLETE 2015 Graph: 32 Million People in 1 Image acasignups.net/15/02/23/compl… @ThePlumLineGS @DemFromCT @Jed_Graham http://t.co/vSPRThLI2x
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Charles Gaba (@charles_gaba) February 23, 2015Medicare drug costs shrinking under ObamaCare bit.ly/1LCBPi4
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The Hill Healthwatch (@hillhealthwatch) February 24, 2015
The Obama Diary 
damn Obama:) TY!!!
CHEEEEEEEEAT!!!!! 👿
Nerdy?
(1) Thanks a gazillion for the awesome Obamacare news
(2) Can you delete DF’s comment?
Thanks.
1. You’re welcome.
2.
Is that a no?
😆 I sooooo want one of those outfits!!
OMG you guys are HILARIOUS!
Taaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllly!!!!!
Thank you sweetness:) sore LOSER:)
Yay!
Congrats DF on being furst……maybe next time Chips 😦 Hey Tally! Wooo wooo ACA will have almost ALL the 47 million that were uninsured in 2008 insured…TY Obama TY Tally!
Meeeeeee!!!!
No shame. 🙄 Just wondering – when (at what age) and where did you lose your shame? And shouldn’t you be old enough now to recognize that you ought to go looking for it?
Good luck in your search, though you needn’t kill yourself in the first outing as it’s unlikely you’ll discover it right away!
🙂 It’s close at hand VC, I put it in the freezer with my cheesy puff cake.
Makes perfect sense now – you swallowed it a long time ago, prolly in one of your midnight snack attacks!
This is a good article, 57, and a sad one. To be raised to live your whole life in fear of change and condemned for questioning and doubt. Why do people willingly surrender their intelligence to an ideology that paints other people as the enemy. This is like choosing to life in darkness.
I know jackiegrumbacher and paint fellow AMERICAN’s as the enemy. If the Democratic party painted Republicans as the enemy I could not belong…..they only paint them as crazy and doing treasonous things which is TRUE! But I don’t think the everyday republican as treasonous only crazy to keep voting for these people. I just don’t get it. Listening to The Mic 92.1 Madison on iheart radio and they are protesting Scott Walker and the Republicans who will most likely sign Right to Work For Less legislation and talk of another recall. What is wrong with Wisconsonites who did not get out the vote to get ride of Walker. Please someone explain it to me.
Chips, there’s an Obamacare cure for jealousy 🙂
When it comes to jealousy, Chips takes a back seat to nobody. The proverbial green-eyed monster doesn’t even match her. However, in this particular case, it should be noted it was a tie.
Hi japa, you are correct on both counts.
1. It should be considered a tie
2. Chips doesn’t care that it’s a tie. She wants what she wants
japa, Will you please reason with her????
‘it should be noted it was a tie.’
smh You got it bad, you poor soul! She no doubt jiggered the timer, man!
Thank you ish, Japa. Ish.
There are some things even Obamacare can’t cure, GGail. But good morning any way 🙂
Good morning to you, my special bt😘
HAAAAAAAAA!!!!!
I see you Tally girl 🙂
Now, now, don’t pout 👻
Hahahahah, you are too funny!!!!
Does anyone have the answer to this question? If the Rs shut down DHS funding, what happens to airport security screeners? Are they laid off? What about FBI and Secret Service agents?
Nope…..100K including those you’ve mentioned are Legally considered Essential positions…..therefore, under the law, they must work without pay……
30K DHS workers will be forced off their jobs.
30,000 will be furloughed and 195,000 have to work without pay.
This is just monstrous because the creeps in Congress who vote to “furlough” 30,000 and cause over 100 thousand others to work without pay still collect their big salaries and don’t have to worry about their own rents, mortgages and grocery bills. They are heartless sadists who don’t even understand the meaning of walking in another person’s shoes.
And so many that would have to work without pay no doubt voted GOP and will do so again
Thanks for the responses folks.
I could be in the worse mood – and I was in a pretty foul mood most of the morning – and then I do Storytime and everything is right with the world. It’s my therapy.
Morning, all.
Anytime you need therapy and there are no kids in your Reading Room, please come to my office and read to me 🙂
Hugs LL, good morning to ya.
Sacred work you are doing with those children.
Wonderful Post NW……your Heath Care Posts are Legendary.
DF has the FURST Au ⭐
Sorry, Lady Chips 😉
🙂
Love this collection, LP. From the swinish, to the sweet, to the just plain good.
Thanks Jackie…..had some free time & those caught my eye!
LP
These 3 Tweets are wonderful.
I love the Rep Tammy Duckworth’s and her Abigail’s the Best.
TY Neena. Hope all is well in your neck of the woods!
This is ALL that crazy woman had to run on…..BUT NOoooooo…..She couldn’t say she voted for PBO…..she was a Clintonite.
Another good ‘find’ by Smartypants. This time (I don’t normally) I brought over the video along with the link.
http://immasmartypants.blogspot.ca/2015/02/dale-hansen-does-it-again.html
WOW Mr. Hansen, you spoke the truth.
TY very proud of Mr. Hansen that I know took guts to go one television and point out HE was once raised to be hateful but grew up met a lot of people from other places, other ethnicities, etc., and found out that people he never knew were good people.
Hi Jojo! SP’s post gave a link to one other time before when Hansen spoke out on a topical issue re discrimination.
I like this little 2 minutes plus take by Seth Meyers.
Love it also Nena.
Does it come with freedom fries?
and a side order of batshit crazy sauce
I believe we had that “Freedom” plan:
– Freedom to die
– Freedom to go to the emergency room for all treatments
– Freedom to be kicked off your insurance for pre-existing condition
– Freedom to go broke, lose your home, job, and live on the street cause you can’t pay your medical bills
– Freedom for insurance premiums to go higher than the market can bear
Another Take down…..done well.
I don’t know how this warped little man can keep talking with so much of his foot in his mouth. What an ugly little soul.
Always believe Ron Paul was a dirty old racists. And his son is a racists too.
Wow….PBO really unleashed the ugly in some people and especially in the GOP. Good luck AnnRand Paul in getting minorities to vote for you.
My life/mind has been so poisoned in this village that stuff like this actually catches my eyes when I’m checking out the news. smh Thankfully, it still doesn’t *mean* anything to me.
Adnan Januzaj has had a torrid time at Manchester United this season under Louis van Gaal.
The Belgium international was proclaimed as ‘the new Johan Cruyff’ when he emerged last term, but now it is thought that the teenager will be shipped out of Old Trafford in the summer.
The Manchester Evening News claim that Januzaj will be offered to Everton in a swap deal that will see Seamus Coleman go the other way.
…….. //
http://thesportsmash.co.uk/man-utd-and-everton-in-unbelievable-swap-deal/?pub_id=44&w_id=&pd_id=&link_id=115450
Ahhh, thanks vc. I needed some more reading material for my lunch break 🙂
😀 😀 😀
Good.
G-R-E-A-T !!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok good people, I just restarted my blog. It has a new address and a new name. Take a gander if you can.
http://awritingcorner.com/2015/02/24/novels-in-progress-is-dead-long-live-a-writing-corner/
1001% Ron Paul was the author of those UGLY News Letters……with Racist, Bigoted and Distorted periodicals.
Rand Paul tries to hide his ugliness too……but so long as his Daddy continues to Snake his Racism publicly, 318.9M eyes are doubly watching him and his son.
Didn’t Ron Paul vote AGAINST going to WAR?!!!! Isn’t that’s why all those young people were following him because he was one of the few people who voted against going to the IRAQ/AFGHAN war? What the hell???
NW, you nailed it as usual with these tweets.
These are the evil games they play and that is why I am so glad I lived to see social media push back these racist and ignorant remarks with facts.
The media have no intention of doing anything about it.
My hope is the next generation of real journalists will be professionals who understand the importance of truth and character.
They will have to be underground. No room for truth and character in the corporate owned MSM. I second your appreciation for social media, we would be absolutely screwed without it.
Sigh!
White House stands by VA chief after false military service claim
By Martin Matishak – 02/24/15 02:09 PM EST
The White House on Tuesday gave a strong endorsement of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald, following his admission that he made a false statement about his military record.
McDonald is “somebody who understands firsthand the sacrifice that our men and women in uniform make on a regular basis,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said, citing his graduation from West Point and years of service in Army’s 82nd Airborne division.
“He’s also somebody who understands firsthand about why what he said about his service was wrong,” he added, saying it was “appropriate for him to apologize.”
That said, there “is no reason to think that the mistake that he made should interfere” with McDonald’s ability to lead the VA, according to Earnest.
………………………… //
http://thehill.com/policy/defense/233657-white-house-stands-by-va-chief-after-false-military-service-claim
THANK you, Meta! One of the advantages of having a TOD Network; this perked me right up!
In_Deed 😉
This is why the American media is no longer relevant. You announced this before anyone in the media did.
Twitter is WAY ahead of the curve as far as MSM is concerned!
Hhhahahaaa! YES, it is. YES, it is.
The Paper of US Record…..has chimed it 😉
To Put The Veto by Pres Obama in a Historical Context.
This morning I was listening to a presentation on meditation from an Indian swami at our local college and was impressed with what he said about ‘distractions’ because it so much reflects our every day lives in this country. Our minds have difficulty focusing because they’re always so distracted by the thousands of sensations, noises and shiny objects in our environment that we literally can’t think straight. We try to focus on accomplishing something good and positive, like providing health care to millions of uninsured Americans, and our media intentionally pings us with so much misinformation, flashing lights, bleeps and incessant noise that we lose track of what’s both real and true. Americans in general are allowing the GOP propaganda to mess with their brains and their ability to think on every important subject facing us today. It’s something all of us have to fight every hour of every day because it won’t ever let up. I think that meditative focus is something PBO has either learned or uses intuitively to keep him moving forward. That’s one of the things that irritates his enemies and pushes him to great accomplishments. And it’s one more thing he’s modeling for us that we need to pay attention to and learn from.
YAY!
That tweet is for the win!!!!
::Blushes:: 🙂
LIVE NOW: Vice President Biden Speaks at the 2015 Meeting of the National Association of Attorneys General – Audio Only http://youtu.be/xlVcz-sGEe8
He’s so AWESOME.
Will we see Joe Manchin standing before the press saying that President Obama was wrong in vetoing the pipeline, or will he be on FOX?
American Exceptionalism?
Hmm?
Shameful in the 21st Century.
And, those are just what we Know about……
I would bet it is much higher.
I am surprised TX isn’t in the top 5…
And if anyone needs a music break: http://awritingcorner.com/2015/02/24/tuesday-afternoon-music-break-burt-bacharach/
What a Clown.
McConnell says he will hold a vote to override the VETO, wasting more time and money.
In the meantime…..DHS is about to Run Out of Funding?
Sheesh……these people Really are evil.
Yes on March 3.
To Overule PBO on domestic policy.
Same day Bibi will speak to the Congress about US foreign policy.
We will see if there are any Democrats still standing with Our President.
67 votes to overule PBO.
55 GOP + 12 Dems Or does the GOP only have 54? I forget.
This Happened and ONCE Again, The News Buried Buried it……and The Mall of America was The Biggest Headliner this Week?
The News Media……pardon me.
Two bits says the House won’t pass it until a shutdown has happened first. They are total idiots.
But it is Friday at midnight. I cannot imagine them working on the weekend. They rarely work on Friday now.
Yesterday’s vote on DHS was nothing more than a stunt.
There were only 93 Senators voted.
New post.
http://theobamadiary.com/2015/02/24/the-veto-heard-around-the-world/
And NASDAQ isn’t that far behind……. 😉
And on a lighter more animal awesomeness note: