Third round of Medicare prescription rebate checks reach Hawaii’s ‘donut hole’ seniors

HONOLULU—The third round of “donut hole” checks have gone out to more than 375,000 seniors nationwide, including 2,872 seniors in Hawaii. 

Under the recently passed health care reform law, seniors who fall in the Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage gap (more commonly known as the “donut hole”) will receive $250 rebate checks.

The checks are being mailed out every few weeks to ensure seniors who are falling into the “donut hole” are provided financial relief. This past June, 381 seniors in Hawaii received rebate checks. And 2,469 Hawaii seniors received checks in July. Another round of checks will be sent out later this month.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 16,500 seniors in Hawaii fell into the prescription drug “donut hole” in 2009. 

These checks are just the beginning of benefits for seniors in the Medicare Prescription Drug program. Starting in January 2011, seniors in the “donut hole” will receive a 50 percent discount on brand named drugs and by 2020 the “donut hole” will be closed completely, according to the U.S. Congress.