Really, the check’s in the mail

LIHU‘E — If you are a kupuna in Hawai‘i, the mailman may be bringing you a $250 “donut-hole” check in the next few days.

United States Rep. Mazie Hirono, D-Neighbor Islands, rural O‘ahu, said Wednesday in a release that, starting Thursday, Medicare administrators will begin mailing out the $250 “donut-hole” checks to tens of thousands of seniors in Hawai‘i.

The checks are a result of the recently-enacted health care reform law where seniors who fall in the Medicare Part D prescription-drug-coverage game, commonly known as the “donut hole,” in 2010 will receive this one-time, tax-free, $250 rebate check.

Distribution of these checks will continue for the next several months as seniors enter the coverage gap, according to a release from Hirono’s office.

“I met with Medicare beneficiaries in Kane‘ohe and in Lihu‘e, Kaua‘i, a few days ago (June 4 at Lihu‘e Neighborhood Center) and reminded them to watch for their rebate checks in their mail,” Hirono said in the release.

“With all the various types of marketing mailers, I emphasized to them to be sure to look for their checks and not throw them away.”

Hirono said this is just one example of how the health care reform bill will strengthen Medicare and help Hawai‘i’s seniors.

According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 16,500 seniors in Hawai‘i fell into the prescription drug “donut hole” in 2009, states the Hirono release.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that seniors, or people 65 years and older, make up 14.9 percent of Kaua‘i’s 64,529 population based on 2008 figures. This compares with 14.8 percent for the state of Hawai‘i.

The delivery of rebate checks is the first phase of the health reform legislation that will benefit seniors in the Medicare Prescription Drug program.

Starting in January 2011, seniors in the “donut hole” will receive a 50 percent discount on brand-name drugs, and by 2020, the “donut hole” will be completely closed, Hirono said.

If you are someone who falls into the Medicare-prescription-drug “donut hole,” or coverage gap, the health care reform will help, she said.

The plan will gradually close the gap so seniors will no longer have a period where they have to pay 100 percent of drug costs, states a report from the “National Council on Aging: Straight Talk for Seniors on Health Care Reform,” an informational handout presented by Hirono during her visit to the Lihu‘e Neighborhood Center last week.

In the first year, the plan will provide a one-time, $250 payment to individuals who are in the gap. It will also improve the program that reduces drug costs for seniors with limited means and make it easier to appeal coverage denials, according to the report.

The “donut hole” is the difference between the initial coverage limit of $310 and the catastrophic-coverage threshold of $6,440 as described in the Medicare Part D prescription drug program, states the donuthole.com website.

After a Medicare beneficiary surpasses the prescription-drug-coverage limit of $2,830, the beneficiary is financially responsible for the entire cost of prescription drugs until the expense reaches the catastrophic-coverage threshold.

Hirono voted in support of the national health care reform law in March. President Barack Obama signed it into law on March 23.

Hirono said, following her vote in favor of House Resolution 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the federal legislation establishes health care reform in a way that reduces the deficit, provides stability and security for Americans who currently have health insurance, and offers an affordable, quality option for those without coverage.

Visit www.hirono.house.gov for more information, or www.donuthole.com for more information on the Medicare Part D Coverage Gap.

• Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.