January 2, 2011: U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)—as part of his statewide tour—announced at a press conference today at the Monroe Street United Methodist Church in Toledo that Ohio seniors receiving Medicare can now receive free preventive health screenings with no co-payments or deductibles.
As part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) – the new health reform law –Medicare beneficiaries will also receive free annual wellness check-ups and 50 percent discounts on brand-name drugs and biologics in the Medicare prescription drug coverage gap, also known as the “donut hole.”
“I have heard from so many Ohio seniors struggling with rising health care and prescription drug costs – seniors who are cutting pills in half, or skipping doses altogether, because prices are simply unaffordable. Ohio seniors shouldn’t have to worry about how they’re going to afford doctor visits on top of prescription drug costs, and this bill works to ensure that they don’t have to,” Brown said.
“These new Medicare benefits will remove financial barriers to care and enable Ohio seniors enrolled in Medicare to receive free annual wellness checkups and preventive screenings, and this new law will help alleviate the expensive costs seniors must endure when they enter the ‘donut hole.’
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