We are pleased to report that years of NoHLA’s hard work on the “Medicare Affordability Cliff” is paying off and making health care more affordable for an estimated 10,000 more seniors and people with disabilities who now qualify for Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) because of expanded eligibility requirements. This is a result of a $6.3M budget increase that we fought for in the 2023 session.
Starting this month, the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program allows a 10% higher income for eligibility and will pay for cost sharing for Medicare-covered services as well as Part B premiums, increasing the monthly income limit for a single person to $1,401. The expansion also raises the income limit for the Qualified Individual (QI-1) program to 138% FPL (up to $1,752 monthly for a single person). This program pays Part B premiums, which are now $174.70 per month. Receiving any Medicare Savings Program also makes a person eligible for significant cost-reductions for prescription medications by providing eligibility for a federal program (called “Extra Help,” or “Low Income Subsidy”).
The Health Care Authority (HCA) will notify enrollees who were denied QMB because of their income level that they are now eligible to apply. HCA will also inform those individuals who were denied for QI-1 from January to the end of February that they may re-apply.
HCA provides these MSP resources online: