PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Major changes are coming to medicare beneficiaries this year that will allow seniors to start saving hundreds of dollars on insulin costs and vaccines.
The Inflation Reduction Act will help nearly 300,000 Medicare beneficiaries in Pennsylvania with diabetes.
Now a month’s supply of insulin will cost no more than $35 per month for people who have Medicare Part D, or a Medicare Advantage plan.
The cap will take effect in July for other Medicare Part B recipients.
Dr. Ala Stanford, a regional director in the Department of Health and Human Services, says the benefits from the act are just the beginning for Pennsylvanians.
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“Through the law, we are delivering lower costs for America's families so that people can access key care they deserve and not have to make gut-wrenching decisions like foregoing medicines to keep food on the table,” she said.
Also included in the legislation are free vaccines for TDAP and shingles for older adults.
According to Dr. Stanford, 33 percent of Americans will develop shingles in their lifetime, and Medicare Part D patients could save hundreds of dollars on their shingles vaccinations.
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These policies are expected to save seniors in Pennsylvania and across the country hundreds of dollars on their healthcare costs, which officials say will help prevent dangerous complications from diseases.
There is even more good news for other Medicare Part B recipients: starting July 1, the government will impose caps on insulin used in traditional insulin pumps.