Manchester -- By the end of this summer, the AARP says, more than 1 million older Americans will have fallen into the "doughnut hole" -- a coverage gap in Medicare's prescription drug program that leaves people on the hook for all of their drug costs while still paying premiums.

To help seniors avoid this coverage gap, AARP is launching a new online resource called the AARP Doughnut Hole Calculator.

Available at www.aarp.org/doughnuthole, the resource guides visitors through their prescription drug options using local information about their plans and prescriptions to determine if or when they will fall into the coverage gap.

In about 15 minutes, visitors can view a graph of their out-of-pocket spending by month, look up lower-cost drugs for their conditions, create a personal medication record and print personal letters to their doctors to help start a conversation about safely switching prescriptions.


"Seventeen percent of New Hampshire residents in Medicare fall into the gap each year, and many more nervously wonder if they might fall in," said Kelly Clark, AARP New Hampshire state director. "For the first time, people in Medicare have a simple way to learn if they'll fall into the doughnut hole and find ways to avoid it by switching to safe, less expensive medications."

The calculator is powered by DestinationRx as part of a special arrangement between AARP and Medicare. The data are the same used by the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Finder, giving users the most accurate and up-to-date drug pricing information available, the AARP said.