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Please scroll down to the bottom of the page for downloadable materials and helpful links. Please note the number in bracket next to a bold item in the page content corresponds to the downloadable item or link at the bottom of the page. {14}Notice to State Medicaid Directors on the Annual Re-determination of the Low-Income Subsidy (Re-deeming) CMS is preparing for the second annual re-determination of Medicare Part D low-income subsidy (LIS) deemed status. The notice to State Medicaid Directors (below) provides more details on this process. {4}UPDATED! Guidance to States on the Low-Income Subsidy This guidance is intended for use by states in processing SSA applications and making determinations for subsidy eligibility upon request. It will be updated periodically to reflect changes as necessary--updated as of May 2007. {13} Information on Redeeming: In order to assist our partners with targeted outreach efforts, CMS has posted information about mail notices some beneficiaries may receive. These notices explain why a person no longer automatically qualifies for the low-income subsidy,a nd encourages them to complete and return an enclosed LIS application. CMS is working with our partners to encourage anyone who is losing their automatic LIS eligibility. To help target your outreach efforts, use the link below to access state- and county-level data reflecting the number of beneficiaries who will no longer automatically qualify for the LIS. {12}Changes in Qualifying for Extra Help in 2007: Materials for Partners and People with Medicare Medicare wants to ensure that every person with Medicare who qualifies is getting extra help and that people with limited income and resources understand and take advantage of all options for getting help paying for Medicare prescription drug coverage. Some people with Medicare will be affected by changes in their qualifying status for extra help in paying for their Medicare prescription drug coverage costs. People affected by these changes will receive information from Social Security or CMS. Please find below materials that provide information important to people affected by these changes. {11}CMS and SSA to Mail Important Information about the Low-Income Subsidy The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) are working together to conduct a number of activities in the coming months related to Part D low-income subsidy status and enrollment in plans. We know that it's important that you stay informed about any changes that will affect any beneficiaries with whom you work.
We have attached a timeline of the various communications that will be sent to beneficiaries, along with a background document that further explains the issues that some beneficiaries may be facing over the next few months. The following are the first mailings: - SSA is now mailing notices to people who applied for and received the low-income subsidy in 2006 to help determine whether they still qualify for 2007. (See the attached sample letter, Form: SSA-L1026)
- For people who are no longer a full-benefit dual-eligible, partial dual-eligible (Medicare Savings Program participant), or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipient, their automatic LIS eligibility will end on December 31, 2006. Starting in mid-September, CMS will mail these individuals a letter that explains their pending loss of LIS eligibility and includes an SSA application for them to complete and return in an enclosed postage-paid envelope. CMS is also sending a letter to individuals who continue to qualify for the LIS in 2007, but will have a change in their co-pay level from 2006 to 2007. Deemed beneficiaries whose LIS status for 2007 is remaining unchanged will receive no letter.
Most importantly, we will continue to share tools that will help you to answer beneficiaries' questions about the steps they will need to take to ensure they continue getting Medicare services into the future. Please know that we appreciate your willingness to answer those questions and help CMS spread the word about people's upcoming changes to their low-income subsidy status. {10}UPDATED! Extra Help/LIS Outreach Toolkit This toolkit provides important resources for partners to help beneficiaries learn about and apply for extra help (the low-income subsidy, or LIS). The toolkit includes downloadable materials and helpful links for those that may need extra help paying for prescription drugs. General targeting estimates are also provided to assist in ongoing outreach activities. These estimates are provided at the state, county, and zip-code level and include Part D-eligible Medicare beneficiaries who 1) are not currently receiving prescription drug coverage and 2) may be eligible for extra help based on the median income of where they live. {9}Medicare Demonstration to Transition Enrollment of Low Income Subsidy Beneficiaries In order to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries continue to have strong incentives to enroll in low-cost plans, as they did in 2006, Secretary Leavitt has announced a new transitional approach that will help ensure that low-income beneficiaries have access to a variety of affordable plans. {8}LIS-Eligible Medicare Beneficiaries with Drug Coverage {7}Low-Income Subsidy Package On January 1, 2006, Medicare began offering prescription drug coverage for all people with Medicare. There are beneficiaries with limited income and resources who may qualify for extra help in paying for their prescription drug plan costs. Please find below a package of information specifically for those beneficiaries who may qualify for the extra help. Included in the package are: LIS cover note, LIS fact sheet,Who can help you apply fact sheet,If you applied fact sheet,LIS partner tip sheet,Homelessness fact sheet,Food Stamps tip sheet,HUD tip sheet,Medicaid spend down tip sheet,HIV/AIDs tip sheet, andLIS Katrina fact sheet. {5}Important Information for Those Who Qualify (Deemed Mailings for Duals, MSP, and SSI) Each Deemed Notice PDF has two parts - the first half is a cover letter that provides background information on the notice. Beneficiaries will not receive this document. The second half of the PDF contains the actual notice that beneficiaries will receive. For the Spanish version of the deemed mailings, please click on Materials in Spanish.
Page Last Modified: 07/25/2007 12:12:16 PM
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