AARP Medicare Report Overlooks Reality, says MedCenter Canada Inc.

Vancouver, Canada, Jan. 16th, 2006 – The January AARP Bulletin featured a report titled The New Medicare Math which erroneously suggested that Medicare Part D plans offer superior savings on prescription drugs vs. online Canadian pharmacies. The report was widely criticized as unrealistic because it involved an extremely small sample size with selectively biased examples.

In a recently released (Dec. 20, 2005) study of 1,820 real-world cases, MedCenter Canada determined that 84.6% of participants would spend less buying prescription drugs from a Canadian pharmacy than by enrolling in their Medicare plan of choice.

Upon release of the AARP Bulletin report, MedCenter re-ran its data using variables from AARP’s own MedicareRx plan. While the AARP plan is touted as one of the nation’s best, the new analysis still concludes that a clear majority of seniors (55.5%), who spend less than $7,500 per year on medications, would save more money buying from MedCenter Canada. Only 45.5% would save more on the AARP plan.

Moreover, the average annual MedCenter savings was $456. The analysis factored all plan variables including actual drug costs, premiums, deductibles and co-payments.

“Once again the real-life numbers demonstrate that Canadian pharmacies compare favorably against even the most popular Medicare D plans,” says Glassey. “It’s further evidence that Canadian drugs are a viable alternative for seniors to consider. The AARP has an obvious financial interest in promoting Medicare but it should not be at the expense of its members”.

MedCenter also offers patients the ability to analyze their own prescription scenario through an automated online calculator or by calling toll free 1-800-442-9585. In either case, specific Medicare plan variables can be captured allowing for a realistic comparison with drug costs from MedCenter Canada.

“Performing a personal analysis can be an invaluable exercise. The numbers speak for themselves. Canada is often the better deal but even when it’s not it can be a welcomed safety-net for Medicare gaps and shortfalls,” adds Glassey.

One notorious feature of Medicare D is the requirement to pay full price for a drug when it is not covered by a plan and upon entering the coverage gap (donut hole). This presents an ideal opportunity to order from Canada and save 40-70% on medications.

MedCenter Canada Inc., through its partner network of international pharmacies, is an established leader in providing affordable medications for Americans. Since 2003, MedCenter has helped tens of thousands of Americans save money on their medications.