Amendment #579 to H5150

Medicare Savings Program Eligibility Expansion

Representatives Ultrino of Malden, Barber of Somerville, Barrett of North Adams, Capano of Lynn, Hecht of Watertown, Lipper-Garabedian of Melrose, Livingstone of Boston, Donato of Medford, Sabadosa of Northampton, Nguyen of Andover, Vincent of Revere, Gentile of Sudbury, Lewis of Framingham, Provost of Somerville, Keefe of Worcester and Robertson of Tewksbury Moves to amend the bill by inserting the following section:

“SECTION XX. 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 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.”

Additional co-sponsor(s) added to Amendment #579 to H5150

Medicare Savings Program Eligibility Expansion