SENATE DOCKET, NO. 741        FILED ON: 1/16/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 699

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Jason M. Lewis

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act regarding Medicare savings programs eligibility.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

 

Jason M. Lewis

Fifth Middlesex

 

Diana DiZoglio

First Essex

1/18/2019

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

2/1/2019

Michael D. Brady

Second Plymouth and Bristol

1/18/2019

Jack Patrick Lewis

7th Middlesex

1/18/2019

Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr.

12th Hampden

1/18/2019

Patrick M. O'Connor

Plymouth and Norfolk

1/23/2019

James T. Welch

Hampden

1/24/2019

Joanne M. Comerford

Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester

1/28/2019

Mike Connolly

26th Middlesex

1/28/2019

Mary S. Keefe

15th Worcester

1/28/2019

Steven Ultrino

33rd Middlesex

1/30/2019

Kay Khan

11th Middlesex

1/30/2019

Marcos A. Devers

16th Essex

1/30/2019

Anne M. Gobi

Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire and Middlesex

1/31/2019

Brendan P. Crighton

Third Essex

1/31/2019

Patricia D. Jehlen

Second Middlesex

1/31/2019

Sal N. DiDomenico

Middlesex and Suffolk

1/31/2019

Michael O. Moore

Second Worcester

1/31/2019

José F. Tosado

9th Hampden

1/31/2019

David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf

17th Worcester

2/1/2019

Mark C. Montigny

Second Bristol and Plymouth

2/1/2019

James K. Hawkins

2nd Bristol

2/1/2019

Harriette L. Chandler

First Worcester

2/1/2019

Carlos González

10th Hampden

2/4/2019

Lori A. Ehrlich

8th Essex

2/7/2019

Maria Duaime Robinson

6th Middlesex

2/11/2019


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 741        FILED ON: 1/16/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 699

By Mr. Lewis, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 699) of Jason M. Lewis, Diana DiZoglio, James B. Eldridge, Michael D. Brady and other members of the General Court for legislation relative to Medicare savings programs eligibility.  Health Care Financing.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 640 OF 2017-2018.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

_______________

 

An Act regarding Medicare savings programs eligibility.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Chapter 118E of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 25 the following section:-

SECTION  25A. The division shall disregard income in an amount equivalent to sixty-five percent of the federal poverty level, as adjusted annually, in determining eligibility for the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary, Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary and Qualified Individual programs, described in 42 U.S.C. §1396(a)(10)(E) and also known as the Medicare Savings or Medicare Buy-In Programs in accordance with the following schedule or such earlier date as the division determines to be feasible: In the year in which the state plan amendment is approved, the division shall disregard income in an amount equivalent to thirty percent (30%) of the federal poverty level; in the following year, the division shall disregard income in an amount equivalent to forty-five percent (45%) of the federal poverty level; in the following year the division shall disregard income in an amount equivalent to sixty-five percent (65%) of the federal poverty level.

The division shall implement a waiting list in any year in which the number of qualified applicants for the Qualified Individual Program exceeds the annual block grant amount for said program. The division shall not apply an asset test in determining eligibility for said Medicare Savings Programs. The division shall submit a state plan amendment to implement this section no later than 30 days after the effective date of this section and subsequently promulgate all regulations necessary to implement said income and asset disregards.