Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

U.S. SENATOR Jeff Bingaman

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Contact Senator Bingaman's Office:

Jude McCartin
Maria Najera
703 Hart Building
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
(202) 224-5521

Bingaman Bill to Help Low-Income Seniors Pay for Medications

WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman today introduced legislation that will help ensure that low-income seniors have access to affordable prescription medications.

“This bill will ensure that life-saving pharmaceuticals are available to millions of Americans of modest means,” Bingaman said, a member of the Senate Finance Committee – the panel with jurisdiction over Medicare. 

Under current law, Medicare Part D enrollees pay a premium for an insurance plan that picks up most of the costs of their prescription medications.   Because of a flaw in the law, Medicare doesn’t assist with the cost of medications after $2,700 has been paid out.  The individual is responsible for paying the next $3,454.  The amount between $2,701 and $6,153 is known as the “coverage gap.”  While in that gap, Medicare recipients must incur significant out-of-pocket costs, which is particularly burdensome for low-income Americans. 

Bingaman’s bill, called the Helping Fill the Rx Gap Act of 2009, would assist low-income seniors by allowing them to apply prescription assistance received through federal health programs, safety-net hospitals and pharmaceutical manufacturer-sponsored patient assistance programs to count toward the $3,454 out of pocket expense incurred while in the coverage gap. 

“This important legislation will help ensure that low-income seniors have full access to the benefits available to them under the Medicare Drug Benefit,” said Bingaman.