Section 25A of Chapter 118E of the General Laws is hereby amended by replacing Section 25A with 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 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.