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When Will I Get My $250 Medicare Donut Hole Check?

Written by Nickel - 28 Comments

When Will I Get My $250 Medicare Donut Hole Check? In case you haven’t heard, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has begun sending out $250 checks to seniors who have hit the so-called Medicare “donut hole” for prescription drug benefits.

What is the Medicare donut hole?

According to DHHS, Medicare Part D provides prescription drug benefits to those on Medicare, but there is a $310 deductible. After the $310 deductible has been met, you have to pay 25% of the cost of your prescriptions until the total cost of medicines you have received in a year hits $2830.

Once you cross this limit, you are responsible for the entire cost of your prescription drugs until you hit the catastrophic coverage threshold — currently $6440. The uncovered portion between these limits is known as the Medicare gap, or the donut hole.

Who will get a check?

As part of the recent healthcare reform legislation, seniors who hit the Medicare donut hole will receive a $250 rebate check in 2010. An estimated four million checks will be sent this year.

Beginning in 2011, seniors in the donut hole will receive a 50% discount on prescription drugs, and the Medicare share of costs will continue to increase until the donut hole is entirely closed in 2020.

When will my check arrive?

The Medicare donut hole checks will be sent automatically when you hit the donut hole. They will be mailed from a Medicare contractor’s address in Wisconsin, and you don’t need to do anything to trigger the check. The first round of checks are going out this week, with additional checks being sent as people qualify through the remainder of the year.

Beware of scammers

Reports of scams related to these checks are already starting to surface. As noted above, these checks will be sent automatically. If you’re contacted by someone asking for information to help get your check processed, hang up on them and call 800-MediCare and report the incident to your State Attorney General and/or the FTC.

Published on June 10th, 2010 - 28 Comments
Filed under: Insurance, Taxes

About the author: Nickel is the founder and editor-in-chief of this site. He's a thirty-something family man who has been writing about personal finance since 2005, and guess what? He's on Twitter!

28 Responses to “When Will I Get My $250 Medicare Donut Hole Check?”

1
Lorena Portericker Says:
June 12th, 2010 at 3:29 pm
I have medicare part D,BUT I don’t know if I able to recieved it? Is it anyway if I can find out.
2
Peggy Lynn Murray Says:
June 14th, 2010 at 12:19 pm
I get SSI how do I know if and when I wil get the check my date of birth is 11 27 54 Thank You
3
diane gentry Says:
June 14th, 2010 at 2:28 pm
I have medicare partd,how do i know if i am able to qualify for the $250 rebate?
4
otis gilyard Says:
June 17th, 2010 at 6:42 pm
i am 73 years live in louisana when will get my check $250
5
jashbhai Says:
June 21st, 2010 at 12:57 pm
how can ifind wheather iget my doughnuthole money?
6
don Says:
June 23rd, 2010 at 5:54 pm
i not only got in to the donnut hole but i am already out the otherside. but no check. obana says i should have my $250. dud, where is it?
7
Judy Lupo Says:
June 29th, 2010 at 2:17 pm
If I have a Medicare Advantage plan am I still qualified for the $250. I will reach the donut hole with my next prescription purchase.
8
Roy G. DeVault III Says:
July 7th, 2010 at 12:42 pm
If I have a medical advantage plan, will I get a benefit check? Do they just go out when you hit the donut hole? What other requirements are there?
9
Dave Kadaronak Says:
August 6th, 2010 at 12:05 pm
I have long been in the donut hole and keep checking my mail for my $250 check. When and Where is it?
10
james mitchell Says:
August 6th, 2010 at 9:08 pm
I need the check to come now. I have been in the donut hole for one month because my insulin is so expensive.
11
Elwin Valberg Says:
August 18th, 2010 at 10:19 am
I am in the donut hole and was born in 1941. This $250 will help for maybe one trip to the pharmacy. When should I expect my check?
12
Pedro Uriegas Says:
August 21st, 2010 at 9:08 am
I still have $.33 before I hit the donut hole, but my insulin cost $684.00 and I have to pay that before I get my $250.00 check. I’ll go without it I guess unless someone gives us free insulin.
13
Norm Curtis Says:
September 3rd, 2010 at 9:28 pm
Donut Hole $250 check. Bravo-Foxtrot-Delta. That will pay about 2/3 of a one months supply of my wife’s epilepsy medicine! Only way I have found to ease the Donut Hole pain…Get a 90 day supply of all your drugs from Canada and rathole them until Donut Hole time. Hopefully you can make it until October 1st before falling into the hole. Rather strange how your premiums continue during the Donut Hole but your benefits don’t!
14
k Says:
September 7th, 2010 at 8:08 am
in the donut hole for 3 months! No check! Sept 4, 2010
15
k Says:
September 7th, 2010 at 8:09 am
in the donut hole 3 months! No check! Sept..
Anyone else, or anyone know what is going on???
16
Denise Says:
September 25th, 2010 at 11:11 am
I have been in the doughnut hole since July and I have not recieved a check yet either.
17
in donut hole since june no check Says:
September 27th, 2010 at 7:41 pm
What is going on with these checks? I have been in the donut hole since june, no check
18
Franklin L. Piehl Says:
October 2nd, 2010 at 4:35 am
How do I know if I qualify? I want every penny I can get. I hate the cola being frozen last year. Is that going to happen again? I bet ya congress did not vote themselves out of a pay raise right …
19
Joyce S. Says:
October 19th, 2010 at 2:05 pm
In donut hole since August 3rd — still no check. I have called Medicare 4 times and received 4 different answers. My cancer medicine is $345.00 a month — rebate money needed now. One answer stated a four month wait time.
20
Robert E Zeigler Says:
October 29th, 2010 at 8:28 am
Cannot find an answer as to when I get the check. Spent 3,000.00, am in the hole in August 2010 and no sign of a check. Calling Medicare is useless.
21
Jo Ruth Lewter Says:
November 1st, 2010 at 6:45 pm
My insulin is so expensive, it already taken me to the donut hole very quickly. plus other medcations that I need for Nov. & Dec. I want to make sure I get the $250.00 rebate
22
Norm Curtis Says:
November 1st, 2010 at 9:07 pm
Jo Ruth,Robert,Joyce and others…Try Canadian Drugs. Much cheaper and a lot easier to deal with than Medicare “Professionals”. Just get your doctor to give you a 90 day prescription to what you need; order your drugs on one of the Canadian Websites, fax them your prescription and you’ll be amazed at how much you can save.
23
Rhonda Says:
December 2nd, 2010 at 8:43 pm
I am on disability and it has been several months since I met the doughnut hole. I had to pay $300.00 for medicine for my Asthma problems last week and getting ready to have to pay $250.00 for my Potassium, but don’t know when I will get my $250.00. I do know that a person I was talking to got her $250.00 yesterday. Wonder what happens if you don’t get a $250.00. I went into this website, and it said that you do not have to do anything, just wait to get the check. Does anyone know how long we need to wait or who we need to contact?
24
Nichole Clarke Says:
December 9th, 2010 at 1:31 pm
Has anyone gotten their $250.00?
25
Nichole Clarke Says:
December 14th, 2010 at 9:42 am
I don’t know of any one that has gottne the $250. And I know a lot of folks that should have received it. Another lie from the government. Why am I not surprised?
26
Ronald Kieferle Says:
December 20th, 2010 at 11:07 am
I went into the donut hole in September. Today is Dec. 20. Could you track my donuthole check for me and tell me when it might arrive. Ronald Kieferle, ronck@windstream.net.
27
William c Miller Sr Says:
April 26th, 2011 at 4:16 pm
I went in to Donut Hole Dec 2010,this is April,26th 2011 no check yet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
28
robert willis Says:
May 7th, 2011 at 5:21 pm
I went in the hole oct-nov,2010 no check yet!! on may 7th 2011. when can it be expected?????

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