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BALTIMORE, MARYLAND (May 25, 2010) - Starting today and throughout this week, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will begin mailing copies of its brochure “Medicare and the New Health Law – What it Means for You” to all Medicare beneficiaries.  The brochure outlines key parts of the Affordable Care Act that affect Medicare beneficiaries and their families.

As a result of the Affordable Care Act, many Medicare beneficiaries will receive a one-time check for $250 from the federal government.  Individuals will receive this check if they’ve entered the Part D donut hole and are not eligible for Medicare Extra Help.  The donut hole, or coverage gap, is the period in which beneficiaries must pay 100 percent of their drug costs until they hit the catastrophic coverage. 

These $250 checks are the first step toward the ultimate goal of closing the coverage gap.  Next year, all beneficiaries who enter the gap will get a 50 percent discount on covered brand name Part D drugs, and by 2020, the gap will be gone completely.

The Affordable Care Act also ensures that, beginning next year, Medicare beneficiaries will get free preventive care services like colorectal cancer screenings and mammograms, as well as a free annual wellness visit.   The law also includes new tools to help fight fraud.

The brochure, which is available in both English and Spanish, can also be found online:

• Medicare and the New Health Law – What it Means for You (English) 
• Medicare and the New Health Law – What it Means for You (Spanish)

For more information about Medicare or the Affordable Care Act, please log on to www.medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE.

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