Premiums rise $1 for Medicare drug plans

Posted 23m ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — Seniors will pay a little more for Medicare prescription coverage next year — but benefits will also improve, the government says.

The average monthly premium charged by prescription plans will rise to $30 in 2011, an increase of $1, or about 3%, federal health officials said Wednesday. About 27 million Medicare beneficiaries are signed up for the prescription benefit, delivered by private insurers.

Seniors with high drug costs can expect a noticeable improvement next year. The new health care law cuts the cost of brand-name drugs 50% — and 7% off on generics — for Medicare recipients who fall into the coverage gap known as the "doughnut hole."

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