Copayment Increase In Massachusetts

The Prescription Advantage program in the state of Massachusetts has suffered a $11 million cut. Due to this cut, larger drug copayments will have to be made by more than 44,000 Massachusetts seniors. Seniors meeting a particular income eligibility requirement are provided copay assistance by the Prescription Advantage program.

There has been a $1bn state budget reduction by Governor Deval Patrick. As a result copays may double or triple for many seniors. Effective from Jan 1st, only if Medicare and the beneficiary combined have spent $2700 then state assistance for covered drugs is available.

According to Mary Sullivan from MassMedLine, many seniors cannot pay for copays and so are not picking up prescriptions. The extent of effect these program cuts would have was not known by many seniors despite a mass outreach program.

Information has been sent to many seniors about the change by the Executive Office of Elder Affairs. If people cut back because of the costs it may result in them being taken into the emergency rooms.