RI seniors paying less for medicine

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WPRI) - Thousands of Rhode Island seniors are paying less for prescription drugs thanks to a healthcare law enacted in 2011.

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, nearly 15,000 seniors living in the Ocean State benefited from $8.2 million in savings - with the end of the Medicare Part D prescription drug "doughnut hole."

On average that's $554 in savings per person. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse supported the bill.

“Far too many seniors are forced to choose between taking their medication and putting food on the table or paying their bills. I’m pleased that so many Rhode Islanders received prescription drug discounts as a result of closing the doughnut hole, and I’m going to continue to fight to lower drug prices,” Sen. Whitehouse said in a news release to Eyewitness News.

AARP officials say they are pleased with the results.

“AARP worked hard at the national level to provide relief to those who fell into the ‘doughnut hole,’ and for good reason,” said AARP Rhode Island State Director Kathleen Connell.