To the editor:

Medicare started sending out one-time $250 rebate checks Thursday for those individuals who have hit the donut hole with their Medicare Part D prescription drug plan.

The individuals who hit the donut hole do not need to do anything to receive this rebate. They don’t have to provide any personal information like their Medicare, Social Security, or bank account numbers to get the rebate check.

When the individual reaches the threshold with Medicare, the rebate will be issued automatically. A common scam related to the $250 donut hole rebate checks was for individuals to convince seniors that the rebate checks needed to be transferred to a third party or used to cover specific prescription drug payments. If you have any other questions about the rebate check, please feel free to call the Department on Aging at (620) 382-3580.

Gayla Ratzlaff, coordinator
Marion County Department on Aging