Nearly 10.7 million Medicare beneficiaries received discounts of more than $20.8 billion on prescription drugs — an average of $1,945 per beneficiary — since the enactment of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, according to CMS.
In 2015 alone, nearly 5.2 million beneficiaries received discounts of more than $5.4 billion, or an average of $1,054 per person. This represents an increase in savings from 2014, when 5.1 million Medicare beneficiaries received discounts of $4.8 billion, for an average of $941 per beneficiary.
According to CMS, Medicare beneficiaries have increasingly taken advantage of certain recommended preventive services with no coinsurance. An estimated 39.2 million people with Medicare (including those enrolled in Medicare Advantage) underwent at least one preventive service with no copays or deductibles in 2015, slightly more than in 2014. Additionally, nearly 9 million Medicare beneficiaries had an Annual Wellness Visit in 2015.
"Medicare consumers are now more engaged and empowered in their own health thanks to the Affordable Care Act," said CMS Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt. "Millions are now able to access more affordable prescription medicine for their chronic conditions and millions more are staying healthier by accessing preventive services, especially vital for people living with disabilities or growing older."