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March 2022 Alert -- where can you buy amoxil over the counter Tell amoxil medication your State Senator and Assemblyperson and Gov. Hochul to expand income limits for MSPs - Support Senate Bill S8228/A9245 - see more here!. Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) pay for the monthly Medicare Part B premium for low-income Medicare beneficiaries and qualify enrollees for the "Extra Help" amoxil medication subsidy for Part D prescription drugs. There are three separate MSP programs, the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) Program, the Specified Low Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) Program and the Qualified Individual (QI) Program, each of which is discussed below. Those in QMB receive additional subsidies for Medicare costs.

See 2022 Fact Sheet on MSP in NYS by Medicare amoxil medication Rights Center ENGLISH SPANISH State law. N.Y. Soc. Serv. L.

§ 367-a(3)(a), (b), and (d). 2020 Medicare 101 Basics for New York State - 1.5 hour webinar by Eric Hausman, sponsored by NYS Office of the Aging Note. Some consumers may be eligible for the Medicare Insurance Premium Payment (MIPP) Program, instead of MSP. See this article for more info. TOPICS COVERED IN THIS ARTICLE 1.

No Asset Limit 1A. Summary Chart of MSP Programs with current income limits 2. Income Limits &. Rules and Household Size 3. The Three MSP Programs - What are they and how are they Different?.

4. FOUR Special Benefits of MSP Programs. Back Door to Extra Help with Part D MSPs Automatically Waive Late Enrollment Penalties for Part B - and allow enrollment in Part B year-round outside of the short Annual Enrollment Period No Medicaid Lien on Estate to Recover Payment of Expenses Paid by MSP Food Stamps/SNAP not reduced by Decreased Medical Expenses when Enroll in MSP - at least temporarily 5. Enrolling in an MSP - Automatic Enrollment &. Applications for People who Have Medicare WHO IS AUTOMATICALLY ENROLLED IN AN MSP Applying for MSP Directly with Local Medicaid Program - including those who already have Medicaid through local Medicaid program but need MSP, and those newly applying for MSP Enrolling in an MSP if you have Medicaid and Just Became Eligible for Medicare MIPPA - SSA Notifies Social Security recipients that they may be eligible for MSP based on their income.

6. Enrolling in an MSP for People age 65+ who Do Not Qualify for Free Medicare Part A - the "Part A Buy-In Program" 7. What Happens After MSP Approved - How Part B Premium is Paid 8 Special Rules for QMBs - How Medicare Cost-Sharing Works 1. NO ASSET LIMIT!. Since April 1, 2008, none of the three MSP programs have resource limits in New York -- which means many Medicare beneficiaries who might not qualify for Medicaid because of excess resources can qualify for an MSP.

1.A. SUMMARY CHART OF MSP BENEFITS QMB SLIMB QI-1 Eligibility ASSET LIMIT NO LIMIT IN NEW YORK STATE INCOME LIMIT (2022) Single Couple Single Couple Single Couple $1,133 $1,526 $1,359 $1,831 $1,529 $2,060 Federal Poverty Level 100% FPL 100 – 120% FPL 120 – 135% FPL Benefits Pays Monthly Part B premium?. YES, and also Part A premium if did not have enough work quarters and meets citizenship requirement. See “Part A Buy-In” YES YES Pays Part A &. B deductibles &.

Co-insurance YES - with limitations NO NO Retroactive to Filing of Application?. Yes - Benefits begin the month after the month of the MSP application. 18 NYCRR §360-7.8(b)(5) Yes – Retroactive to 3rd month before month of application, if eligible in prior months Yes – may be retroactive to 3rd month before month of applica-tion, but only within the current calendar year. (No retro for January application). See GIS 07 MA 027.

Can Enroll in MSP and Medicaid at Same Time?. YES YES NO!. Must choose between QI-1 and Medicaid. Cannot have both, not even Medicaid with a spend-down. 2.

INCOME LIMITS and RULES Each of the three MSP programs has different income eligibility requirements and provides different benefits. The income limits are tied to the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). The figures in the chart are based on a document issued by HRA in March 2022 (Box 7) based on the 2022 FPL. See 2022 Fact Sheet on MSP in NYS by Medicare Rights Center ENGLISH SPANISH Income is determined by the same methodology as is used for determining in eligibility for SSI The rules for counting income for SSI-related (Aged 65+, Blind, or Disabled) Medicaid recipients, borrowed from the SSI program, apply to the MSP program, except for the new rules about counting household size for married couples. N.Y.

Soc. Serv. L. 367-a(3)(c)(2), NYS DOH 2000-ADM-7, 89-ADM-7 p.7. Gross income is counted, although there are certain types of income that are disregarded.

The most common income disregards, also known as deductions, include. (a) The first $20 of your &. Your spouse's monthly income, earned or unearned ($20 per couple max). (b) SSI EARNED INCOME DISREGARDS. * The first $65 of monthly wages of you and your spouse, * One-half of the remaining monthly wages (after the $65 is deducted).

* Other work incentives including PASS plans, impairment related work expenses (IRWEs), blind work expenses, etc. For information on these deductions, see The Medicaid Buy-In for Working People with Disabilities (MBI-WPD) and other guides in this article -- though written for the MBI-WPD, the work incentives apply to all Medicaid programs, including MSP, for people age 65+, disabled or blind. (c) monthly cost of any health insurance premiums but NOT the Part B premium, since Medicaid will now pay this premium (may deduct Medigap supplemental policies, vision, dental, or long term care insurance premiums, and the Part D premium but only to the extent the premium exceeds the Extra Help benchmark amount) (d) Food stamps not counted. You can get a more comprehensive listing of the SSI-related income disregards on the Medicaid income disregards chart. As for all benefit programs based on financial need, it is usually advantageous to be considered a larger household, because the income limit is higher.

The above chart shows that Households of TWO have a higher income limit than households of ONE. The MSP programs use the same rules as Medicaid does for the Disabled, Aged and Blind (DAB) which are borrowed from the SSI program for Medicaid recipients in the “SSI-related category.” Under these rules, a household can be only ONE or TWO. 18 NYCRR 360-4.2. See DAB Household Size Chart. Married persons can sometimes be ONE or TWO depending on arcane rules, which can force a Medicare beneficiary to be limited to the income limit for ONE person even though his spouse who is under 65 and not disabled has no income, and is supported by the client applying for an MSP.

EXAMPLE. Bob's Social Security is $1300/month. He is age 67 and has Medicare. His wife, Nancy, is age 62 and is not disabled and does not work. Under the old rule, Bob was not eligible for an MSP because his income was above the Income limit for One, even though it was well under the Couple limit.

In 2010, NYS DOH modified its rules so that all married individuals will be considered a household size of TWO. DOH GIS 10 MA 10 Medicare Savings Program Household Size, June 4, 2010. This rule for household size is an exception to the rule applying SSI budgeting rules to the MSP program. Under these rules, Bob is now eligible for an MSP. When is One Better than Two?.

Of course, there may be couples where the non-applying spouse's income is too high, and disqualifies the applying spouse from an MSP. In such cases, "spousal refusal" may be used SSL 366.3(a). (Link is to NYC HRA form, can be adapted for other counties). In NYC, if you have a Medicaid case with HRA, instead of submitting an MSP application, you only need to complete and submit MAP-751W (check off "Medicare Savings Program Evaluation") and fax to (917) 639-0837. (The MAP-751W is also posted in languages other than English in this link.

(Updated 4/14/2021.)) 3. The Three Medicare Savings Programs - what are they and how are they different?. 1. Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB). The QMB program provides the most comprehensive benefits.

Available to those with incomes at or below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), the QMB program covers virtually all Medicare cost-sharing obligations. Part B premiums, Part A premiums, if there are any, and any and all deductibles and co-insurance. QMB coverage is not retroactive. The program’s benefits will begin the month after the month in which your client is found eligible. ** See special rules about cost-sharing for QMBs below - updated with new CMS directive issued January 2012 ** See NYC HRA QMB Recertification form ** Even if you do not have Part A automatically, because you did not have enough wages, you may be able to enroll in the Part A Buy-In Program, in which people eligible for QMB who do not otherwise have Medicare Part A may enroll, with Medicaid paying the Part A premium (Materials by the Medicare Rights Center).

2. Specifiedl Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB). For those with incomes between 100% and 120% FPL, the SLMB program will cover Part B premiums only. SLMB is retroactive, however, providing coverage for three months prior to the month of application, as long as your client was eligible during those months. 3.

Qualified Individual (QI-1). For those with incomes between 120% and 135% FPL, and not receiving Medicaid, the QI-1 program will cover Medicare Part B premiums only. QI-1 is also retroactive, providing coverage for three months prior to the month of application, as long as your client was eligible during those months. However, QI-1 retroactive coverage can only be provided within the current calendar year. (GIS 07 MA 027) So if you apply in January, you get no retroactive coverage.

Q-I-1 recipients would be eligible for Medicaid with a spend-down, but if they want the Part B premium paid, they must choose between enrolling in QI-1 or Medicaid. They cannot be in both. It is their choice. DOH MRG p. 19.

In contrast, one may receive Medicaid and either QMB or SLIMB. 4. Four Special Benefits of MSPs (in addition to NO ASSET TEST). Benefit 1. Back Door to Medicare Part D "Extra Help" or Low Income Subsidy -- All MSP recipients are automatically enrolled in Extra Help, the subsidy that makes Part D affordable.

They have no Part D deductible or doughnut hole, the premium is subsidized, and they pay very low copayments. Once they are enrolled in Extra Help by virtue of enrollment in an MSP, they retain Extra Help for the entire calendar year, even if they lose MSP eligibility during that year. The "Full" Extra Help subsidy has the same income limit as QI-1 - 135% FPL. However, many people may be eligible for QI-1 but not Extra Help because QI-1 and the other MSPs have no asset limit. People applying to the Social Security Administration for Extra Help might be rejected for this reason.

Recent (2009-10) changes to federal law called "MIPPA" requires the Social Security Administration (SSA) to share eligibility data with NYSDOH on all persons who apply for Extra Help/ the Low Income Subsidy. Data sent to NYSDOH from SSA will enable NYSDOH to open MSP cases on many clients. The effective date of the MSP application must be the same date as the Extra Help application. Signatures will not be required from clients. In cases where the SSA data is incomplete, NYSDOH will forward what is collected to the local district for completion of an MSP application.

The State implementing procedures are in DOH 2010 ADM-03. Also see CMS "Dear State Medicaid Director" letter dated Feb. 18, 2010 Benefit 2. MSPs Automatically Waive Late Enrollment Penalties for Part B Generally one must enroll in Part B within the strict enrollment periods after turning age 65 or after 24 months of Social Security Disability. An exception is if you or your spouse are still working and insured under an employer sponsored group health plan, or if you have End Stage Renal Disease, and other factors, see this from Medicare Rights Center.

If you fail to enroll within those short periods, you might have to pay higher Part B premiums for life as a Late Enrollment Penalty (LEP). Also, you may only enroll in Part B during the Annual Enrollment Period from January 1 - March 31st each year, with Part B not effective until the following July. Enrollment in an MSP automatically eliminates such penalties... For life.. Even if one later ceases to be eligible for the MSP.

AND enrolling in an MSP will automatically result in becoming enrolled in Part B if you didn't already have it and only had Part A. See Medicare Rights Center flyer. Benefit 3. No Medicaid Lien on Estate to Recover MSP Benefits Paid Generally speaking, states may place liens on the Estates of deceased Medicaid recipients to recover the cost of Medicaid services that were provided after the recipient reached the age of 55. Since 2002, states have not been allowed to recover the cost of Medicare premiums paid under MSPs.

In 2010, Congress expanded protection for MSP benefits. Beginning on January 1, 2010, states may not place liens on the Estates of Medicaid recipients who died after January 1, 2010 to recover costs for co-insurance paid under the QMB MSP program for services rendered after January 1, 2010. The federal government made this change in order to eliminate barriers to enrollment in MSPs. See NYS DOH GIS 10-MA-008 - Medicare Savings Program Changes in Estate Recovery The GIS clarifies that a client who receives both QMB and full Medicaid is exempt from estate recovery for these Medicare cost-sharing expenses. Benefit 4.

SNAP (Food Stamp) benefits not reduced despite increased income from MSP - at least temporarily Many people receive both SNAP (Food Stamp) benefits and MSP. Income for purposes of SNAP/Food Stamps is reduced by a deduction for medical expenses, which includes payment of the Part B premium. Since approval for an MSP means that the client no longer pays for the Part B premium, his/her SNAP/Food Stamps income goes up, so their SNAP/Food Stamps go down. Here are some protections. Do these individuals have to report to their SNAP worker that their out of pocket medical costs have decreased?.

And will the household see a reduction in their SNAP benefits, since the decrease in medical expenses will increase their countable income?. The good news is that MSP households do NOT have to report the decrease in their medical expenses to the SNAP/Food Stamp office until their next SNAP/Food Stamp recertification. Even if they do report the change, or the local district finds out because the same worker is handling both the MSP and SNAP case, there should be no reduction in the household’s benefit until the next recertification. New York’s SNAP policy per administrative directive 02 ADM-07 is to “freeze” the deduction for medical expenses between certification periods. Increases in medical expenses can be budgeted at the household’s request, but NYS never decreases a household’s medical expense deduction until the next recertification.

Most elderly and disabled households have 24-month SNAP certification periods. Eventually, though, the decrease in medical expenses will need to be reported when the household recertifies for SNAP, and the household should expect to see a decrease in their monthly SNAP benefit. It is really important to stress that the loss in SNAP benefits is NOT dollar for dollar. A $100 decrease in out of pocket medical expenses would translate roughly into a $30 drop in SNAP benefits. See more info on SNAP/Food Stamp benefits by the Empire Justice Center, and on the State OTDA website.

Some clients will be automatically enrolled in an MSP by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) shortly after attaining eligibility for Medicare. Others need to apply. The 2010 "MIPPA" law introduced some improvements to increase MSP enrollment. See 3rd bullet below. Also, some people who had Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act before they became eligible for Medicare have special procedures to have their Part B premium paid before they enroll in an MSP.

See below. WHO IS AUTOMATICALLY ENROLLED IN AN MSP. Clients receiving even $1.00 of Supplemental Security Income should be automatically enrolled into a Medicare Savings Program (most often QMB) under New York State’s Medicare Savings Program Buy-in Agreement with the federal government once they become eligible for Medicare. They should receive Medicare Parts A and B. Clients who are already eligible for Medicare when they apply for Medicaid should be automatically assessed for MSP eligibility when they apply for Medicaid.

(NYS DOH 2000-ADM-7 and GIS 05 MA 033). Clients who apply to the Social Security Administration for Extra Help, but are rejected, should be contacted &. Enrolled into an MSP by the Medicaid program directly under new MIPPA procedures that require data sharing. Strategy TIP. Since the Extra Help filing date will be assigned to the MSP application, it may help the client to apply online for Extra Help with the SSA, even knowing that this application will be rejected because of excess assets or other reason.

SSA processes these requests quickly, and it will be routed to the State for MSP processing. Since MSP applications take a while, at least the filing date will be retroactive. Note. The above strategy does not work as well for QMB, because the effective date of QMB is the month after the month of application. As a result, the retroactive effective date of Extra Help will be the month after the failed Extra Help application for those with QMB rather than SLMB/QI-1.

APPLYING FOR MSP DIRECTLY WITH LOCAL MEDICAID OFFICE Client already has Medicaid with Local District/HRA but not MSP. They should NOT have to submit an MSP application because the local district is required to review all Medicaid recipients for MSP eligibility and enroll them. (NYS DOH 2000-ADM-7 and GIS 05 MA 033). But if a Medicaid recipient does not have MSP, contact the Local Medicaid office and request that they be enrolled. In NYC - Use Form 751W and check the box on page 2 requesting evaluation for Medicare Savings Program.

Fax it to the Undercare Division at 1-917-639-0837 or email it to undercareproviderrelations@hra.nyc.gov. Use by secure email. If enrolling in the MSP will cause a Spenddown (because income will increase by the amount of the Part B premium, include a completed and signed "Choice Notice" (MAP-3054a)(3/19/2019)(You must adapt this notice - generally check box 3B on page 2 to select enrollment in MSP while keeping Medicaid.) If do not have Medicaid -- must apply for an MSP through their local social services district. (See more in Section D. Below re those who already have Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act before they became eligible for Medicare.

If you are applying for MSP only (not also Medicaid), you can use the simplified MSP application form (theDOH-4328(Rev. 8/2017-- English) (2017 Spanish version not yet available). Either application form can be mailed in -- there is no interview requirement anymore for MSP or Medicaid. See 10 ADM-04. Applicants will need to submit proof of income, a copy of their Medicare card (front &.

Back), and proof of residency/address. See the application form for other instructions. One who is only eligible for QI-1 because of higher income may ONLY apply for an MSP, not for Medicaid too. One may not receive Medicaid and QI-1 at the same time. If someone only eligible for QI-1 wants Medicaid, s/he may enroll in and deposit excess income into a pooled Supplemental Needs Trust, to bring her countable income down to the Medicaid level, which also qualifies him or her for SLIMB or QMB instead of QI-1.

Advocates in NYC can sign up for a half-day "Deputization Training" conducted by the Medicare Rights Center, at which you'll be trained and authorized to complete an MSP application and to submit it via the Medicare Rights Center, which submits it to HRA without the client having to apply in person. Enrolling in an MSP if you already have Medicaid, but just become eligible for Medicare" The procedure for getting the Part B premium paid is different for those whose Medicaid was administered by the NYS of Health Exchange (Marketplace), as opposed to their local social services district. The procedure is also different for those who obtain Medicare because they turn 65, as opposed to obtaining Medicare based on disability. Either way, Medicaid recipients who transition onto Medicare should be automatically evaluated for MSP eligibility at their next Medicaid recertification. NYS DOH 2000-ADM-7 Individuals can also affirmatively ask to be enrolled in MSP in between recertification periods.

Individuals who are eligible for Medicaid with a spenddown can opt whether or not to receive MSP. (Medicaid Reference Guide (MRG) p. 19). Obtaining MSP may increase their spenddown. IF CLIENT HAD MEDICAID ON THE MARKETPLACE (NYS of Health Exchange) before obtaining Medicare - See article about the Medicare Insurance Payment Program (MIPP).

IF CLIENT HAD MEDICAID THROUGH LOCAL DISTRICT - see here, same procedure for any Medicaid recipient who needs MSP. MIPPA - Under MIPPA, the SSA sends a form letter to people who may be eligible for a Medicare Savings Program or Extra Help (Low Income Subsidy - LIS) that they may apply. The letters are. · Beneficiary has Extra Help (LIS), but not MSP · Beneficiary has no Extra Help (LIS) or MSP 6. Enrolling in MSP for People Age 65+ who do Not have Free Medicare Part A - the "Part A Buy-In Program" Seniors WITHOUT MEDICARE PART A or B -- They may be able to enroll in the Part A Buy-In program, in which people eligible for QMB who are age 65+ who do not otherwise have Medicare Part A may enroll in Part A, with Medicaid paying the Part A premium.

See Step-by-Step Guide by the Medicare Rights Center). This guide explains the various steps in "conditionally enrolling" in Part A at the SSA office, which must be done before applying for QMB at the Medicaid office, which will then pay the Part A premium. See also GIS 04 MA/013. In June, 2018, the SSA revised the POMS manual procedures for the Part A Buy-In to to address inconsistencies and confusion in SSA field offices and help smooth the path for QMB enrollment. The procedures are in the POMS Section HI 00801.140 "Premium-Free Part A Enrollments for Qualified Medicare BenefiIaries." It includes important clarifications, such as.

SSA Field Offices should explain the QMB program and conditional enrollment process if an individual lacks premium-free Part A and appears to meet QMB requirements. SSA field offices can add notes to the “Remarks” section of the application and provide a screen shot to the individual so the individual can provide proof of conditional Part A enrollment when applying for QMB through the state Medicaid program. Beneficiaries are allowed to complete the conditional application even if they owe Medicare premiums. In Part A Buy-in states like NYS, SSA should process conditional applications on a rolling basis (without regard to enrollment periods), even if the application coincides with the General Enrollment Period. (The General Enrollment Period is from Jan 1 to March 31st every year, in which anyone eligible may enroll in Medicare Part A or Part B to be effective on July 1st).

7. What happens after the MSP approval - How is Part B premium paid For all three MSP programs, the Medicaid program is now responsible for paying the Part B premiums, even though the MSP enrollee is not necessarily a recipient of Medicaid. The local Medicaid office (DSS/HRA) transmits the MSP approval to the NYS Department of Health – that information gets shared w/ SSA and CMS SSA stops deducting the Part B premiums out of the beneficiary’s Social Security check. SSA also refunds any amounts owed to the recipient. (Note.

This process can take awhile!. !. !. ) CMS “deems” the MSP recipient eligible for Part D Extra Help/ Low Income Subsidy (LIS). ​Can the MSP be retroactive like Medicaid, back to 3 months before the application?.

​The answer is different for the 3 MSP programs. QMB -No Retroactive Eligibility – Benefits begin the month after the month of the MSP application. 18 NYCRR § 360-7.8(b)(5) SLIMB - YES - Retroactive Eligibility up to 3 months before the application, if was eligible This means applicant may be reimbursed for the 3 months of Part B benefits prior to the month of application. QI-1 - YES up to 3 months but only in the same calendar year. No retroactive eligibility to the previous year.

7. QMBs -Special Rules on Cost-Sharing. QMB is the only MSP program which pays not only the Part B premium, but also the Medicare co-insurance. However, there are limitations. First, co-insurance will only be paid if the provide accepts Medicaid.

Not all Medicare provides accept Medicaid. Second, under recent changes in New York law, Medicaid will not always pay the Medicare co-insurance, even to a Medicaid provider. But even if the provider does not accept Medicaid, or if Medicaid does not pay the full co-insurance, the provider is banned from "balance billing" the QMB beneficiary for the co-insurance. Click here for an article that explains all of these rules. This article was authored by the Empire Justice Center.Maximizing health coverage for DAP clients.

Before and after winning the case Outline prepared by Geoffrey Hale and Cathy Roberts - updated August 2012 This outline is intended to assist Disability Advocacy Program (DAP) advocates maximize health insurance coverage for clients they are representing on Social Security/SSI disability determinations. We begin with a discussion of coverage options available while your client’s DAP case is pending and then outline the effect winning the DAP case can have on your client’s access to health care coverage. How your client is affected will vary depending on the source and amount of disability income he or she receives after the successful appeal. I. BACKGROUND.

Public health coverage for your clients will primarily be provided by Medicaid and Medicare. The two programs are structured differently and have different eligibility criteria, but in order to provide the most complete coverage possible for your clients, they must work effectively together. Understanding their interactions is essential to ensuring benefits for your client. Here is a brief overview of the programs we will cover. A.

Medicaid. Medicaid is the public insurance program jointly funded by the federal, state and local governments for people of limited means. For federal Medicaid law, see 42 U.S.C. § 1396 et seq., 42 C.F.R. § 430 et seq.

Regular Medicaid is described in New York’s State Plan and codified at N.Y. Soc. Serv. L. §§ 122, 131, 363- 369-1.

18 N.Y.C.R.R. § 360, 505. New York also offers several additional programs to provide health care benefits to those whose income might be too high for Regular Medicaid. i. Family Health Plus (FHPlus) is an extension of New York’s Medicaid program that provides health coverage for adults who are over-income for regular Medicaid.

FHPlus is described in New York’s 1115 waiver and codified at N.Y. Soc. Serv. L. §369-ee.

ii. Child Health Plus (CHPlus) is a sliding scale premium program for children who are over-income for regular Medicaid. CHPlus is codified at N.Y. Pub. Health L.

§2510 et seq. b. Medicare. Medicare is the federal health insurance program providing coverage for the elderly, disabled, and people with end-stage renal disease. Medicare is codified under title XVIII of the Social Security Law, see 42 U.S.C.

§ 1395 et seq., 42 C.F.R. § 400 et seq. Medicare is divided into four parts. i. Part A covers hospital, skilled nursing facility, home health, and hospice care, with some deductibles and coinsurance.

Most people are eligible for Part A at no cost. See 42 U.S.C. § 1395c, 42 C.F.R. Pt. 406.

ii. Part B provides medical insurance for doctor’s visits and other outpatient medical services. Medicare Part B has significant cost-sharing components. There are monthly premiums (the standard premium in 2012 is $99.90. In addition, there is a $135 annual deductible (which will increase to $155 in 2010) as well as 20% co-insurance for most covered out-patient services.

See 42 U.S.C. § 1395k, 42 C.F.R. Pt. 407. iii.

Part C, also called Medicare Advantage, provides traditional Medicare coverage (Parts A and B) through private managed care insurers. See 42 U.S.C. § 1395w, 42 C.F.R. Pt. 422.

Premium amounts for Medicare Advantage plans vary. Some Medicare Advantage plans include prescription drug coverage. iv. Part D is an optional prescription drug benefit available to anyone with Medicare Parts A and B. See 42 U.S.C.

§ 1395w, buy amoxil 500mg online 42 C.F.R. § 423.30(a)(1)(i) and (ii). Unlike Parts A and B, Part D benefits are provided directly through private plans offered by insurance companies. In order to receive prescription drug coverage, a Medicare beneficiary must join a Part D Plan or participate in a Medicare Advantage plan that provides prescription drug coverage. C.

Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs). Funded by the State Medicaid program, MSPs help eligible individuals meet some or all of their cost-sharing obligations under Medicare. See N.Y. Soc. Serv.

L. § 367-a(3)(a), (b), and (d). There are three separate MSPs, each with different eligibility requirements and providing different benefits. i. Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB).

The QMB program provides the most comprehensive benefits. Available to those with incomes at or below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), the QMB program covers virtually all Medicare cost-sharing obligations. Part B premiums, Part A premiums, if there are any, and any and all deductibles and co-insurance. ii. Special Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB).

For those with incomes between 100% and 120% FPL, the SLMB program will cover Part B premiums only. iii. Qualified Individual (QI-1). For those with incomes between 120% and 135% FPL, but not otherwise Medicaid eligible, the QI-1 program covers Medicare Part B premiums. D.

Medicare Part D Low Income Subsidy (LIS or “Extra Help”). LIS is a federal subsidy administered by CMS that helps Medicare beneficiaries with limited income and/or resources pay for some or most of the costs of Medicare prescription drug coverage. See 42 C.F.R. § 423.773. Some of the costs covered in full or in part by LIS include the monthly premiums, annual deductible, co-payments, and the coverage gap.

Individuals eligible for Medicaid, SSI, or MSP are deemed eligible for full LIS benefitsSee 42 C.F.R. § 423.773(c). LIS applications are treated as (“deemed”) applications for MSP benefits, See the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) of 2008, Pub. Law 110-275. II.

WHILE THE DAP APPEAL IS PENDING Does your client have health insurance?. If not, why isn’t s/he getting Medicaid, Family Health Plus or Child Health Plus?. There have been many recent changes which expand eligibility and streamline the application process. All/most of your DAP clients should qualify. Significant changes to Medicaid include.

Elimination of the resource test for certain categories of Medicaid applicants/recipients and all applicants to the Family Health Plus program. N.Y. Soc. Serv. L.

§369-ee (2), as amended by L. 2009, c. 58, pt. C, § 59-d. As of October 1, 2009, a resource test is no longer required for these categories.

Elimination of the fingerprinting requirement. N.Y. Soc. Serv. L.

§369-ee, as amended by L. 2009, c. 58, pt. C, § 62. Elimination of the waiting period for CHPlus.

N.Y. Pub. Health L. §2511, as amended by L. 2008, c.

58. Elimination of the face-to-face interview requirement for Medicaid, effective April 1, 2010. N.Y. Soc. Serv.

L. §366-a (1), as amended by L. 2009, c. 58, pt. C, § 60.

Higher income levels for Single Adults and Childless Couples. N.Y. Soc. Serv. L.

§366(1)(a)(1),(8) as amended by L. 2008, c. 58. See also. GIS 08 MA/022.

Higher income levels for Medicaid’s Medically Needy program. N.Y. Soc. Serv. L.

§366(2)(a)(7) as amended by L. 2008, c. 58. See also. GIS 08 MA/022 More detailed information on recent changes to Medicaid is available at.

III. AFTER CLIENT IS AWARDED DAP BENEFITS a. Medicaid eligibility. Clients receiving even $1.00 of SSI should qualify for Medicaid automatically. The process for qualifying will differ, however, depending on the source of payment.

1. Clients Receiving SSI Only. i. These clients are eligible for full Medicaid without a spend-down. See N.Y.

Medicaid coverage is automatic. No separate application/ recertification required. iii. Most SSI-only recipients are required to participate in Medicaid managed care. See N.Y.

Concurrent (SSI/SSD) cases. Eligible for full Medicaid since receiving SSI. See N.Y. Soc. Serv.

They can still qualify for Medicaid but may have a spend-down. Federal Law allows states to use a “spend-down” to extend Medicaid to “medically needy” persons in the federal mandatory categories (children, caretakers, elderly and disabled people) whose income or resources are above the eligibility level for regular Medicaid. See 42 U.S.C. § 1396 (a) (10) (ii) (XIII). ii.

Under spend-down, applicants in New York’s Medically Needy program can qualify for Medicaid once their income/resources, minus incurred medical expenses, fall below the specified level. For an explanation of spend-down, see 96 ADM 15. B. Family Health Plus Until your client qualifies for Medicare, those over-income for Medicaid may qualify for Family Health Plus without needing to satisfy a spend-down. It covers adults without children with income up to 100% of the FPL and adults with children up to 150% of the FPL.[1] The eligibility tests are the same as for regular Medicaid with two additional requirements.

Applicants must be between the ages of 19 and 64 and they generally must be uninsured. See N.Y. Soc. Serv. L.

§ 369-ee et. Seq. Once your client begins to receive Medicare, he or she will not be eligible for FHP, because FHP is generally only available to those without insurance. For more information on FHP see our article on Family Health Plus. IV.

LOOMING ISSUES - MEDICARE ELIGIBILITY (WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT) a. SSI-only cases Clients receiving only SSI aren’t eligible for Medicare until they turn 65, unless they also have End Stage Renal Disease. B. Concurrent (SSD and SSI) cases 1. Medicare eligibility kicks in beginning with 25th month of SSD receipt.

See 42 U.S.C. § 426(f). Exception. In 2000, Congress eliminated the 24-month waiting period for people diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease.) See 42 U.S.C. § 426 (h) 2.

Enrollment in Medicare is a condition of eligibility for Medicaid coverage. These clients cannot decline Medicare coverage. (05 OMM/ADM 5. Medicaid Reference Guide p. 344.1) 3.

Medicare coverage is not free. Although most individuals receive Part A without any premium, Part B has monthly premiums and significant cost-sharing components. 4. Medicaid and/or the Medicare Savings Program (MSP) should pick up most of Medicare’s cost sharing. Most SSI beneficiaries are eligible not only for full Medicaid, but also for the most comprehensive MSP, the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program.

I. Parts A &. B (hospital and outpatient/doctors visits). A. Medicaid will pick up premiums, deductibles, co-pays.

For those not enrolled in an MSP, SSA normally deducts the Part B premium directly from the monthly check. However, SSI recipients are supposed to be enrolled automatically in QMB, and Medicaid is responsible for covering the premiums. Part B premiums should never be deducted from these clients’ checks.[1] Medicaid and QMB-only recipients should NEVER be billed directly for Part A or B services. Even non-Medicaid providers are supposed to be able to bill Medicaid directly for services.[2] Clients are only responsible for Medicaid co-pay amount. See 42 U.S.C.

§ 1396a (n) ii. Part D (prescription drugs). a. Clients enrolled in Medicaid and/or MSP are deemed eligible for Low Income Subsidy (LIS aka Extra Help). See 42 C.F.R.

§ 423.773(c). SSA POMS SI § 01715.005A.5. New York State If client doesn’t enroll in Part D plan on his/her own, s/he will be automatically assigned to a benchmark[3] plan. See 42 C.F.R. § 423.34 (d).

LIS will pick up most of cost-sharing.[3] Because your clients are eligible for full LIS, they should have NO deductible and NO premium if they are in a benchmark plan, and will not be subject to the coverage gap (aka “donut hole”). See 42 C.F.R. §§ 423.780 and 423.782. The full LIS beneficiary will also have co-pays limited to either $1.10 or $3.30 (2010 amounts). See 42 C.F.R.

§ 423.104 (d) (5) (A). Other important points to remember. - Medicaid co-pay rules do not apply to Part D drugs. - Your client’s plan may not cover all his/her drugs. - You can help your clients find the plan that best suits their needs.

To figure out what the best Part D plans are best for your particular client, go to www.medicare.gov. Click on “formulary finder” and plug in your client’s medication list. You can enroll in a Part D plan through www.medicare.gov, or by contacting the plan directly. €“ Your clients can switch plans at any time during the year. Iii.

Part C (“Medicare Advantage”). a. Medicare Advantage plans provide traditional Medicare coverage (Parts A and B) through private managed care insurers. See 42 U.S.C. § 1395w, 42 C.F.R.

Pt. 422. Medicare Advantage participation is voluntary. For those clients enrolled in Medicare Advantage Plans, the QMB cost sharing obligations are the same as they are under traditional Medicare. Medicaid must cover any premiums required by the plan, up to the Part B premium amount.

Medicaid must also cover any co-payments and co-insurance under the plan. As with traditional Medicare, both providers and plans are prohibited from billing the beneficiary directly for these co-payments. C. SSD only individuals. 1.

Same Medicare eligibility criteria (24 month waiting period, except for persons w/ ALS). I. During the 24 month waiting period, explore eligibility for Medicaid or Family Health Plus. 2. Once Medicare eligibility begins.

ii. Parts A &. B. SSA will automatically enroll your client. Part B premiums will be deducted from monthly Social Security benefits.

(Part A will be free – no monthly premium) Clients have the right to decline ongoing Part B coverage, BUT this is almost never a good idea, and can cause all sorts of headaches if client ever wants to enroll in Part B in the future. (late enrollment penalty and can’t enroll outside of annual enrollment period, unless person is eligible for Medicare Savings Program – see more below) Clients can decline “retro” Part B coverage with no penalty on the Medicare side – just make sure they don’t actually need the coverage. Risky to decline if they had other coverage during the retro period – their other coverage may require that Medicare be utilized if available. Part A and Part B also have deductibles and co-pays. Medicaid and/or the MSPs can help cover this cost sharing.

iii. Part D. Client must affirmatively enroll in Part D, unless they receive LIS. See 42 U.S.C. § 1395w-101 (b) (2), 42 C.F.R.

§ 423.38 (a). Enrollment is done through individual private plans. LIS recipients will be auto-assigned to a Part D benchmark plan if they have not selected a plan on their own. Client can decline Part D coverage with no penalty if s/he has “comparable coverage.” 42 C.F.R. § 423.34 (d) (3) (i).

If no comparable coverage, person faces possible late enrollment penalty &. Limited enrollment periods. 42 C.F.R. § 423.46. However, clients receiving LIS do not incur any late enrollment penalty.

42 C.F.R. § 423.780 (e). Part D has a substantial cost-sharing component – deductibles, premiums and co-pays which vary from plan to plan. There is also the coverage gap, also known as “donut hole,” which can leave beneficiaries picking up 100% of the cost of their drugs until/unless a catastrophic spending limit is reached. The LIS program can help with Part D cost-sharing.

Use Medicare’s website to figure out what plan is best for your client. (Go to www.medicare.gov , click on “formulary finder” and plug in your client’s medication list. ) You can also enroll in a Part D plan directly through www.medicare.gov. Iii. Help with Medicare cost-sharing a.

Medicaid – After eligibility for Medicare starts, client may still be eligible for Medicaid, with or without a spend-down. There are lots of ways to help clients meet their spend-down – including - Medicare cost sharing amounts (deductibles, premiums, co-pays) - over the counter medications if prescribed by a doctor. - expenses paid by state-funded programs like EPIC and ADAP. - medical bills of person’s spouse or child. - health insurance premiums.

- joining a pooled Supplemental Needs Trust (SNT). B. Medicare Savings Program (MSP) – If client is not eligible for Medicaid, explore eligibility for Medicare Savings Program (MSP). MSP pays for Part B premiums and gets you into the Part D LIS. There are no asset limits in the Medicare Savings Program.

One of the MSPs (QMB), also covers all cost sharing for Parts A &. B. If your client is eligible for Medicaid AND MSP, enrolling in MSP may subject him/her to, or increase a spend-down, because Medicaid and the various MSPs have different income eligibility levels. It is the client’s choice as to whether or not to be enrolled into MSP. C.

Part D Low Income Subsidy (LIS) – If your client is not eligible for MSP or Medicaid, s/he may still be eligible for Part D Low Income Subsidy. Applications for LIS are also be treated as applications for MSP, unless the client affirmatively indicates that s/he does not want to apply for MSP. d. Medicare supplemental insurance (Medigap) -- Medigap is supplemental private insurance coverage that covers all or some of the deductibles and coinsurance for Medicare Parts A and B. Medigap is not available to people enrolled in Part C.

E. Medicare Advantage – Medicare Advantage plans “package” Medicare (Part A and B) benefits, with or without Part D coverage, through a private health insurance plan. The cost-sharing structure (deductible, premium, co-pays) varies from plan to plan. For a list of Medicare Advantage plans in your area, go to www.medicare.gov – click on “find health plans.” f. NY Prescription Saver Card -- NYP$ is a state-sponsored pharmacy discount card that can lower the cost of prescriptions by as much as 60 percent on generics and 30 percent on brand name drugs.

Can be used during the Part D “donut hole” (coverage gap) g. For clients living with HIV. ADAP [AIDS Drug Assistance Program] ADAP provides free medications for the treatment of HIV/AIDS and opportunistic s. ADAP can be used to help meet a Medicaid spenddown and get into the Part D Low Income subsidy. For more information about ADAP, go to V.

GETTING MEDICAID IN THE DISABLED CATEGORY AFTER AN SSI/SSDI DENIAL What if your client's application for SSI or SSDI is denied based on SSA's finding that they were not "disabled?. " Obviously, you have your appeals work cut out for you, but in the meantime, what can they do about health insurance?. It is still possible to have Medicaid make a separate disability determination that is not controlled by the unfavorable SSA determination in certain situations. Specifically, an applicant is entitled to a new disability determination where he/she. alleges a different or additional disabling condition than that considered by SSA in making its determination.

Or alleges less than 12 months after the most recent unfavorable SSA disability determination that his/her condition has changed or deteriorated, alleges a new period of disability which meets the duration requirement, and SSA has refused to reopen or reconsider the allegations, or the individual is now ineligible for SSA benefits for a non-medical reason. Or alleges more than 12 months after the most recent unfavorable SSA disability determination that his/her condition has changed or deteriorated since the SSA determination and alleges a new period of disability which meets the duration requirement, and has not applied to SSA regarding these allegations. See GIS 10-MA-014 and 08 OHIP/INF-03.[4] [1] Potential wrinkle – for some clients Medicaid is not automatically pick up cost-sharing. In Monroe County we have had several cases where SSA began deducting Medicare Part B premiums from the checks of clients who were receiving SSI and Medicaid and then qualified for Medicare. The process should be automatic.

Please contact Geoffrey Hale in our Rochester office if you encounter any cases like this. [2]Under terms established to provide benefits for QMBs, a provider agreement necessary for reimbursement “may be executed through the submission of a claim to the Medicaid agency requesting Medicaid payment for Medicare deductibles and coinsurance for QMBs.” CMS State Medicaid Manual, Chapter 3, Eligibility, 3490.14 (b), available at. http://www.cms.hhs.gov/Manuals/PBM/itemdetail.asp?. ItemID=CMS021927. [3]Benchmark plans are free if you are an LIS recipient.

The amount of the benchmark changes from year to year. In 2013, a Part D plan in New York State is considered benchmark if it provides basic Part D coverage and its monthly premium is $43.22 or less. [4] These citations courtesy of Jim Murphy at Legal Services of Central New York. This site provides general information only. This is not legal advice.

You can only obtain legal advice from a lawyer. In addition, your use of this site does not create an attorney-client relationship. To contact a lawyer, visit http://lawhelp.org/ny. We make every effort to keep these materials and links up-to-date and in accordance with New York City, New York state and federal law. However, we do not guarantee the accuracy of this information..

March 2022 http://www.stonestage.at/lage/ Alert -- where to get amoxil pills Tell your State Senator and Assemblyperson and Gov. Hochul to expand income limits for MSPs - Support Senate Bill S8228/A9245 - see more here!. Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) pay for the monthly Medicare Part B premium for low-income Medicare beneficiaries and qualify enrollees for the "Extra Help" where to get amoxil pills subsidy for Part D prescription drugs. There are three separate MSP programs, the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) Program, the Specified Low Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) Program and the Qualified Individual (QI) Program, each of which is discussed below. Those in QMB receive additional subsidies for Medicare costs.

See 2022 Fact where to get amoxil pills Sheet on MSP in NYS by Medicare Rights Center ENGLISH SPANISH State law. N.Y. Soc. Serv. L.

§ 367-a(3)(a), (b), and (d). 2020 Medicare 101 Basics for New York State - 1.5 hour webinar by Eric Hausman, sponsored by NYS Office of the Aging Note. Some consumers may be eligible for the Medicare Insurance Premium Payment (MIPP) Program, instead of MSP. See this article for more info. TOPICS COVERED IN THIS ARTICLE 1.

No Asset Limit 1A. Summary Chart of MSP Programs with current income limits 2. Income Limits &. Rules and Household Size 3. The Three MSP Programs - What are they and how are they Different?.

4. FOUR Special Benefits of MSP Programs. Back Door to Extra Help with Part D MSPs Automatically Waive Late Enrollment Penalties for Part B - and allow enrollment in Part B year-round outside of the short Annual Enrollment Period No Medicaid Lien on Estate to Recover Payment of Expenses Paid by MSP Food Stamps/SNAP not reduced by Decreased Medical Expenses when Enroll in MSP - at least temporarily 5. Enrolling in an MSP - Automatic Enrollment &. Applications for People who Have Medicare WHO IS AUTOMATICALLY ENROLLED IN AN MSP Applying for MSP Directly with Local Medicaid Program - including those who already have Medicaid through local Medicaid program but need MSP, and those newly applying for MSP Enrolling in an MSP if you have Medicaid and Just Became Eligible for Medicare MIPPA - SSA Notifies Social Security recipients that they may be eligible for MSP based on their income.

6. Enrolling in an MSP for People age 65+ who Do Not Qualify for Free Medicare Part A - the "Part A Buy-In Program" 7. What Happens After MSP Approved - How Part B Premium is Paid 8 Special Rules for QMBs - How Medicare Cost-Sharing Works 1. NO ASSET LIMIT!. Since April 1, 2008, none of the three MSP programs have resource limits in New York -- which means many Medicare beneficiaries who might not qualify for Medicaid because of excess resources can qualify for an MSP.

1.A. SUMMARY CHART OF MSP BENEFITS QMB SLIMB QI-1 Eligibility ASSET LIMIT NO LIMIT IN NEW YORK STATE INCOME LIMIT (2022) Single Couple Single Couple Single Couple $1,133 $1,526 $1,359 $1,831 $1,529 $2,060 Federal Poverty Level 100% FPL 100 – 120% FPL 120 – 135% FPL Benefits Pays Monthly Part B premium?. YES, and also Part A premium if did not have enough work quarters and meets citizenship requirement. See “Part A Buy-In” YES YES Pays Part A &. B deductibles &.

Co-insurance YES - with limitations NO NO Retroactive to Filing of Application?. Yes - Benefits begin the month after the month of the MSP application. 18 NYCRR §360-7.8(b)(5) Yes – Retroactive to 3rd month before month of application, if eligible in prior months Yes – may be retroactive to 3rd month before month of applica-tion, but only within the current calendar year. (No retro for January application). See GIS 07 MA 027.

Can Enroll in MSP and Medicaid at Same Time?. YES YES NO!. Must choose between QI-1 and Medicaid. Cannot have both, not even Medicaid with a spend-down. 2.

INCOME LIMITS and RULES Each of the three MSP programs has different income eligibility requirements and provides different benefits. The income limits are tied to the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). The figures in the chart are based on a document issued by HRA in March 2022 (Box 7) based on the 2022 FPL. See 2022 Fact Sheet on MSP in NYS by Medicare Rights Center ENGLISH SPANISH Income is determined by the same methodology as is used for determining in eligibility for SSI The rules for counting income for SSI-related (Aged 65+, Blind, or Disabled) Medicaid recipients, borrowed from the SSI program, apply to the MSP program, except for the new rules about counting household size for married couples. N.Y.

Soc. Serv. L. 367-a(3)(c)(2), NYS DOH 2000-ADM-7, 89-ADM-7 p.7. Gross income is counted, although there are certain types of income that are disregarded.

The most common income disregards, also known as deductions, include. (a) The first $20 of your &. Your spouse's monthly income, earned or unearned ($20 per couple max). (b) SSI EARNED INCOME DISREGARDS. * The first $65 of monthly wages of you and your spouse, * One-half of the remaining monthly wages (after the $65 is deducted).

* Other work incentives including PASS plans, impairment related work expenses (IRWEs), blind work expenses, etc. For information on these deductions, see The Medicaid Buy-In for Working People with Disabilities (MBI-WPD) and other guides in this article -- though written for the MBI-WPD, the work incentives apply to all Medicaid programs, including MSP, for people age 65+, disabled or blind. (c) monthly cost of any health insurance premiums but NOT the Part B premium, since Medicaid will now pay this premium (may deduct Medigap supplemental policies, vision, dental, or long term care insurance premiums, and the Part D premium but only to the extent the premium exceeds the Extra Help benchmark amount) (d) Food stamps not counted. You can get a more comprehensive listing of the SSI-related income disregards on the Medicaid income disregards chart. As for all benefit programs based on financial need, it is usually advantageous to be considered a larger household, because the income limit is higher.

The above chart shows that Households of TWO have a higher income limit than households of ONE. The MSP programs use the same rules as Medicaid does for the Disabled, Aged and Blind (DAB) which are borrowed from the SSI program for Medicaid recipients in the “SSI-related category.” Under these rules, a household can be only ONE or TWO. 18 NYCRR 360-4.2. See DAB Household Size Chart. Married persons can sometimes be ONE or TWO depending on arcane rules, which can force a Medicare beneficiary to be limited to the income limit for ONE person even though his spouse who is under 65 and not disabled has no income, and is supported by the client applying for an MSP.

EXAMPLE. Bob's Social Security is $1300/month. He is age 67 and has Medicare. His wife, Nancy, is age 62 and is not disabled and does not work. Under the old rule, Bob was not eligible for an MSP because his income was above the Income limit for One, even though it was well under the Couple limit.

In 2010, NYS DOH modified its rules so that all married individuals will be considered a household size of TWO. DOH GIS 10 MA 10 Medicare Savings Program Household Size, June 4, 2010. This rule for household size is an exception to the rule applying SSI budgeting rules to the MSP program. Under these rules, Bob is now eligible for an MSP. When is One Better than Two?.

Of course, there may be couples where the non-applying spouse's income is too high, and disqualifies the applying spouse from an MSP. In such cases, "spousal refusal" may be used SSL 366.3(a). (Link is to NYC HRA form, can be adapted for other counties). In NYC, if you have a Medicaid case with HRA, instead of submitting an MSP application, you only need to complete and submit MAP-751W (check off "Medicare Savings Program Evaluation") and fax to (917) 639-0837. (The MAP-751W is also posted in languages other than English in this link.

(Updated 4/14/2021.)) 3. The Three Medicare Savings Programs - what are they and how are they different?. 1. Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB). The QMB program provides the most comprehensive benefits.

Available to those with incomes at or below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), the QMB program covers virtually all Medicare cost-sharing obligations. Part B premiums, Part A premiums, if there are any, and any and all deductibles and co-insurance. QMB coverage is not retroactive. The program’s benefits will begin the month after the month in which your client is found eligible. ** See special rules about cost-sharing for QMBs below - updated with new CMS directive issued January 2012 ** See NYC HRA QMB Recertification form ** Even if you do not have Part A automatically, because you did not have enough wages, you may be able to enroll in the Part A Buy-In Program, in which people eligible for QMB who do not otherwise have Medicare Part A may enroll, with Medicaid paying the Part A premium (Materials by the Medicare Rights Center).

2. Specifiedl Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB). For those with incomes between 100% and 120% FPL, the SLMB program will cover Part B premiums only. SLMB is retroactive, however, providing coverage for three months prior to the month of application, as long as your client was eligible during those months. 3.

Qualified Individual (QI-1). For those with incomes between 120% and 135% FPL, and not receiving Medicaid, the QI-1 program will cover Medicare Part B premiums only. QI-1 is also retroactive, providing coverage for three months prior to the month of application, as long as your client was eligible during those months. However, QI-1 retroactive coverage can only be provided within the current calendar year. (GIS 07 MA 027) So if you apply in January, you get no retroactive coverage.

Q-I-1 recipients would be eligible for Medicaid with a spend-down, but if they want the Part B premium paid, they must choose between enrolling in QI-1 or Medicaid. They cannot be in both. It is their choice. DOH MRG p. 19.

In contrast, one may receive Medicaid and either QMB or SLIMB. 4. Four Special Benefits of MSPs (in addition to NO ASSET TEST). Benefit 1. Back Door to Medicare Part D "Extra Help" or Low Income Subsidy -- All MSP recipients are automatically enrolled in Extra Help, the subsidy that makes Part D affordable.

They have no Part D deductible or doughnut hole, the premium is subsidized, and they pay very low copayments. Once they are enrolled in Extra Help by virtue of enrollment in an MSP, they retain Extra Help for the entire calendar year, even if they lose MSP eligibility during that year. The "Full" Extra Help subsidy has the same income limit as QI-1 - 135% FPL. However, many people may be eligible for QI-1 but not Extra Help because QI-1 and the other MSPs have no asset limit. People applying to the Social Security Administration for Extra Help might be rejected for this reason.

Recent (2009-10) changes to federal law called "MIPPA" requires the Social Security Administration (SSA) to share eligibility data with NYSDOH on all persons who apply for Extra Help/ the Low Income Subsidy. Data sent to NYSDOH from SSA will enable NYSDOH to open MSP cases on many clients. The effective date of the MSP application must be the same date as the Extra Help application. Signatures will not be required from clients. In cases where the SSA data is incomplete, NYSDOH will forward what is collected to the local district for completion of an MSP application.

The State implementing procedures are in DOH 2010 ADM-03. Also see CMS "Dear State Medicaid Director" letter dated Feb. 18, 2010 Benefit 2. MSPs Automatically Waive Late Enrollment Penalties for Part B Generally one must enroll in Part B within the strict enrollment periods after turning age 65 or after 24 months of Social Security Disability. An exception is if you or your spouse are still working and insured under an employer sponsored group health plan, or if you have End Stage Renal Disease, and other factors, see this from Medicare Rights Center.

If you fail to enroll within those short periods, you might have to pay higher Part B premiums for life as a Late Enrollment Penalty (LEP). Also, you may only enroll in Part B during the Annual Enrollment Period from January 1 - March 31st each year, with Part B not effective until the following July. Enrollment in an MSP automatically eliminates such penalties... For life.. Even if one later ceases to be eligible for the MSP.

AND enrolling in an MSP will automatically result in becoming enrolled in Part B if you didn't already have it and only had Part A. See Medicare Rights Center flyer. Benefit 3. No Medicaid Lien on Estate to Recover MSP Benefits Paid Generally speaking, states may place liens on the Estates of deceased Medicaid recipients to recover the cost of Medicaid services that were provided after the recipient reached the age of 55. Since 2002, states have not been allowed to recover the cost of Medicare premiums paid under MSPs.

In 2010, Congress expanded protection for MSP benefits. Beginning on January 1, 2010, states may not place liens on the Estates of Medicaid recipients who died after January 1, 2010 to recover costs for co-insurance paid under the QMB MSP program for services rendered after January 1, 2010. The federal government made this change in order to eliminate barriers to enrollment in MSPs. See NYS DOH GIS 10-MA-008 - Medicare Savings Program Changes in Estate Recovery The GIS clarifies that a client who receives both QMB and full Medicaid is exempt from estate recovery for these Medicare cost-sharing expenses. Benefit 4.

SNAP (Food Stamp) benefits not reduced despite increased income from MSP - at least temporarily Many people receive both SNAP (Food Stamp) benefits and MSP. Income for purposes of SNAP/Food Stamps is reduced by a deduction for medical expenses, which includes payment of the Part B premium. Since approval for an MSP means that the client no longer pays for the Part B premium, his/her SNAP/Food Stamps income goes up, so their SNAP/Food Stamps go down. Here are some protections. Do these individuals have to report to their SNAP worker that their out of pocket medical costs have decreased?.

And will the household see a reduction in their SNAP benefits, since the decrease in medical expenses will increase their countable income?. The good news is that MSP households do NOT have to report the decrease in their medical expenses to the SNAP/Food Stamp office until their next SNAP/Food Stamp recertification. Even if they do report the change, or the local district finds out because the same worker is handling both the MSP and SNAP case, there should be no reduction in the household’s benefit until the next recertification. New York’s SNAP policy per administrative directive 02 ADM-07 is to “freeze” the deduction for medical expenses between certification periods. Increases in medical expenses can be budgeted at the household’s request, but NYS never decreases a household’s medical expense deduction until the next recertification.

Most elderly and disabled households have 24-month SNAP certification periods. Eventually, though, the decrease in medical expenses will need to be reported when the household recertifies for SNAP, and the household should expect to see a decrease in their monthly SNAP benefit. It is really important to stress that the loss in SNAP benefits is NOT dollar for dollar. A $100 decrease in out of pocket medical expenses would translate roughly into a $30 drop in SNAP benefits. See more info on SNAP/Food Stamp benefits by the Empire Justice Center, and on the State OTDA website.

Some clients will be automatically enrolled in an MSP by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) shortly after attaining eligibility for Medicare. Others need to apply. The 2010 "MIPPA" law introduced some improvements to increase MSP enrollment. See 3rd bullet below. Also, some people who had Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act before they became eligible for Medicare have special procedures to have their Part B premium paid before they enroll in an MSP.

See below. WHO IS AUTOMATICALLY ENROLLED IN AN MSP. Clients receiving even $1.00 of Supplemental Security Income should be automatically enrolled into a Medicare Savings Program (most often QMB) under New York State’s Medicare Savings Program Buy-in Agreement with the federal government once they become eligible for Medicare. They should receive Medicare Parts A and B. Clients who are already eligible for Medicare when they apply for Medicaid should be automatically assessed for MSP eligibility when they apply for Medicaid.

(NYS DOH 2000-ADM-7 and GIS 05 MA 033). Clients who apply to the Social Security Administration for Extra Help, but are rejected, should be contacted &. Enrolled into an MSP by the Medicaid program directly under new MIPPA procedures that require data sharing. Strategy TIP. Since the Extra Help filing date will be assigned to the MSP application, it may help the client to apply online for Extra Help with the SSA, even knowing that this application will be rejected because of excess assets or other reason.

SSA processes these requests quickly, and it will be routed to the State for MSP processing. Since MSP applications take a while, at least the filing date will be retroactive. Note. The above strategy does not work as well for QMB, because the effective date of QMB is the month after the month of application. As a result, the retroactive effective date of Extra Help will be the month after the failed Extra Help application for those with QMB rather than SLMB/QI-1.

APPLYING FOR MSP DIRECTLY WITH LOCAL MEDICAID OFFICE Client already has Medicaid with Local District/HRA but not MSP. They should NOT have to submit an MSP application because the local district is required to review all Medicaid recipients for MSP eligibility and enroll them. (NYS DOH 2000-ADM-7 and GIS 05 MA 033). But if a Medicaid recipient does not have MSP, contact the Local Medicaid office and request that they be enrolled. In NYC - Use Form 751W and check the box on page 2 requesting evaluation for Medicare Savings Program.

Fax it to the Undercare Division at 1-917-639-0837 or email it to undercareproviderrelations@hra.nyc.gov. Use by secure email. If enrolling in the MSP will cause a Spenddown (because income will increase by the amount of the Part B premium, include a completed and signed "Choice Notice" (MAP-3054a)(3/19/2019)(You must adapt this notice - generally check box 3B on page 2 to select enrollment in MSP while keeping Medicaid.) If do not have Medicaid -- must apply for an MSP through their local social services district. (See more in Section D. Below re those who already have Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act before they became eligible for Medicare.

If you are applying for MSP only (not also Medicaid), you can use the simplified MSP application form (theDOH-4328(Rev. 8/2017-- English) (2017 Spanish version not yet available). Either application form can be mailed in -- there is no interview requirement anymore for MSP or Medicaid. See 10 ADM-04. Applicants will need to submit proof of income, a copy of their Medicare card (front &.

Back), and proof of residency/address. See the application form for other instructions. One who is only eligible for QI-1 because of higher income may ONLY apply for an MSP, not for Medicaid too. One may not receive Medicaid and QI-1 at the same time. If someone only eligible for QI-1 wants Medicaid, s/he may enroll in and deposit excess income into a pooled Supplemental Needs Trust, to bring her countable income down to the Medicaid level, which also qualifies him or her for SLIMB or QMB instead of QI-1.

Advocates in NYC can sign up for a half-day "Deputization Training" conducted by the Medicare Rights Center, at which you'll be trained and authorized to complete an MSP application and to submit it via the Medicare Rights Center, which submits it to HRA without the client having to apply in person. Enrolling in an MSP if you already have Medicaid, but just become eligible for Medicare" The procedure for getting the Part B premium paid is different for those whose Medicaid was administered by the NYS of Health Exchange (Marketplace), as opposed to their local social services district. The procedure is also different for those who obtain Medicare because they turn 65, as opposed to obtaining Medicare based on disability. Either way, Medicaid recipients who transition onto Medicare should be automatically evaluated for MSP eligibility at their next Medicaid recertification. NYS DOH 2000-ADM-7 Individuals can also affirmatively ask to be enrolled in MSP in between recertification periods.

Individuals who are eligible for Medicaid with a spenddown can opt whether or not to receive MSP. (Medicaid Reference Guide (MRG) p. 19). Obtaining MSP may increase their spenddown. IF CLIENT HAD MEDICAID ON THE MARKETPLACE (NYS of Health Exchange) before obtaining Medicare - See article about the Medicare Insurance Payment Program (MIPP).

IF CLIENT HAD MEDICAID THROUGH LOCAL DISTRICT - see here, same procedure for any Medicaid recipient who needs MSP. MIPPA - Under MIPPA, the SSA sends a form letter to people who may be eligible for a Medicare Savings Program or Extra Help (Low Income Subsidy - LIS) that they may apply. The letters are. · Beneficiary has Extra Help (LIS), but not MSP · Beneficiary has no Extra Help (LIS) or MSP 6. Enrolling in MSP for People Age 65+ who do Not have Free Medicare Part A - the "Part A Buy-In Program" Seniors WITHOUT MEDICARE PART A or B -- They may be able to enroll in the Part A Buy-In program, in which people eligible for QMB who are age 65+ who do not otherwise have Medicare Part A may enroll in Part A, with Medicaid paying the Part A premium.

See Step-by-Step Guide by the Medicare Rights Center). This guide explains the various steps in "conditionally enrolling" in Part A at the SSA office, which must be done before applying for QMB at the Medicaid office, which will then pay the Part A premium. See also GIS 04 MA/013. In June, 2018, the SSA revised the POMS manual procedures for the Part A Buy-In to to address inconsistencies and confusion in SSA field offices and help smooth the path for QMB enrollment. The procedures are in the POMS Section HI 00801.140 "Premium-Free Part A Enrollments for Qualified Medicare BenefiIaries." It includes important clarifications, such as.

SSA Field Offices should explain the QMB program and conditional enrollment process if an individual lacks premium-free Part A and appears to meet QMB requirements. SSA field offices can add notes to the “Remarks” section of the application and provide a screen shot to the individual so the individual can provide proof of conditional Part A enrollment when applying for QMB through the state Medicaid program. Beneficiaries are allowed to complete the conditional application even if they owe Medicare premiums. In Part A Buy-in states like NYS, SSA should process conditional applications on a rolling basis (without regard to enrollment periods), even if the application coincides with the General Enrollment Period. (The General Enrollment Period is from Jan 1 to March 31st every year, in which anyone eligible may enroll in Medicare Part A or Part B to be effective on July 1st).

7. What happens after the MSP approval - How is Part B premium paid For all three MSP programs, the Medicaid program is now responsible for paying the Part B premiums, even though the MSP enrollee is not necessarily a recipient of Medicaid. The local Medicaid office (DSS/HRA) transmits the MSP approval to the NYS Department of Health – that information gets shared w/ SSA and CMS SSA stops deducting the Part B premiums out of the beneficiary’s Social Security check. SSA also refunds any amounts owed to the recipient. (Note.

This process can take awhile!. !. !. ) CMS “deems” the MSP recipient eligible for Part D Extra Help/ Low Income Subsidy (LIS). ​Can the MSP be retroactive like Medicaid, back to 3 months before the application?.

​The answer is different for the 3 MSP programs. QMB -No Retroactive Eligibility – Benefits begin the month after the month of the MSP application. 18 NYCRR § 360-7.8(b)(5) SLIMB - YES - Retroactive Eligibility up to 3 months before the application, if was eligible This means applicant may be reimbursed for the 3 months of Part B benefits prior to the month of application. QI-1 - YES up to 3 months but only in the same calendar year. No retroactive eligibility to the previous year.

7. QMBs -Special Rules on Cost-Sharing. QMB is the only MSP program which pays not only the Part B premium, but also the Medicare co-insurance. However, there are limitations. First, co-insurance will only be paid if the provide accepts Medicaid.

Not all Medicare provides accept Medicaid. Second, under recent changes in New York law, Medicaid will not always pay the Medicare co-insurance, even to a Medicaid provider. But even if the provider does not accept Medicaid, or if Medicaid does not pay the full co-insurance, the provider is banned from "balance billing" the QMB beneficiary for the co-insurance. Click here for an article that explains all of these rules. This article was authored by the Empire Justice Center.Maximizing health coverage for DAP clients.

Before and after winning the case Outline prepared by Geoffrey Hale and Cathy Roberts - updated August 2012 This outline is intended to assist Disability Advocacy Program (DAP) advocates maximize health insurance coverage for clients they are representing on Social Security/SSI disability determinations. We begin with a discussion of coverage options available while your client’s DAP case is pending and then outline the effect winning the DAP case can have on your client’s access to health care coverage. How your client is affected will vary depending on the source and amount of disability income he or she receives after the successful appeal. I. BACKGROUND.

Public health coverage for your clients will primarily be provided by Medicaid and Medicare. The two programs are structured differently and have different eligibility criteria, but in order to provide the most complete coverage possible for your clients, they must work effectively together. Understanding their interactions is essential to ensuring benefits for your client. Here is a brief overview of the programs we will cover. A.

Medicaid. Medicaid is the public insurance program jointly funded by the federal, state and local governments for people of limited means. For federal Medicaid law, see 42 U.S.C. § 1396 et seq., 42 C.F.R. § 430 et seq.

Regular Medicaid is described in New York’s State Plan and codified at N.Y. Soc. Serv. L. §§ 122, 131, 363- 369-1.

18 N.Y.C.R.R. § 360, 505. New York also offers several additional programs to provide health care benefits to those whose income might be too high for Regular Medicaid. i. Family Health Plus (FHPlus) is an extension of New York’s Medicaid program that provides health coverage for adults who are over-income for regular Medicaid.

FHPlus is described in New York’s 1115 waiver and codified at N.Y. Soc. Serv. L. §369-ee.

ii. Child Health Plus (CHPlus) is a sliding scale premium program for children who are over-income for regular Medicaid. CHPlus is codified at N.Y. Pub. Health L.

§2510 et seq. b. Medicare. Medicare is the federal health insurance program providing coverage for the elderly, disabled, and people with end-stage renal disease. Medicare is codified under title XVIII of the Social Security Law, see 42 U.S.C.

§ 1395 et seq., 42 C.F.R. § 400 et seq. Medicare is divided into four parts. i. Part A covers hospital, skilled nursing facility, home health, and hospice care, with some deductibles and coinsurance.

Most people are eligible for Part A at no cost. See 42 U.S.C. § 1395c, 42 C.F.R. Pt. 406.

ii. Part B provides medical insurance for doctor’s visits and other outpatient medical services. Medicare Part B has significant cost-sharing components. There are monthly premiums (the standard premium in 2012 is $99.90. In addition, there is a $135 annual deductible (which will increase to $155 in 2010) as well as 20% co-insurance for most covered out-patient services.

See 42 U.S.C. § 1395k, 42 C.F.R. Pt. 407. iii.

Part C, also called Medicare Advantage, provides traditional Medicare coverage (Parts A and B) through private managed care insurers. See 42 U.S.C. § 1395w, 42 C.F.R. Pt. 422.

Premium amounts for Medicare Advantage plans vary. Some Medicare Advantage plans include prescription drug coverage. iv. Part D is an optional prescription drug benefit available to anyone with Medicare Parts A and B. See 42 U.S.C.

§ 1395w, 42 C.F.R helpful resources. § 423.30(a)(1)(i) and (ii). Unlike Parts A and B, Part D benefits are provided directly through private plans offered by insurance companies. In order to receive prescription drug coverage, a Medicare beneficiary must join a Part D Plan or participate in a Medicare Advantage plan that provides prescription drug coverage. C.

Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs). Funded by the State Medicaid program, MSPs help eligible individuals meet some or all of their cost-sharing obligations under Medicare. See N.Y. Soc. Serv.

L. § 367-a(3)(a), (b), and (d). There are three separate MSPs, each with different eligibility requirements and providing different benefits. i. Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB).

The QMB program provides the most comprehensive benefits. Available to those with incomes at or below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), the QMB program covers virtually all Medicare cost-sharing obligations. Part B premiums, Part A premiums, if there are any, and any and all deductibles and co-insurance. ii. Special Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB).

For those with incomes between 100% and 120% FPL, the SLMB program will cover Part B premiums only. iii. Qualified Individual (QI-1). For those with incomes between 120% and 135% FPL, but not otherwise Medicaid eligible, the QI-1 program covers Medicare Part B premiums. D.

Medicare Part D Low Income Subsidy (LIS or “Extra Help”). LIS is a federal subsidy administered by CMS that helps Medicare beneficiaries with limited income and/or resources pay for some or most of the costs of Medicare prescription drug coverage. See 42 C.F.R. § 423.773. Some of the costs covered in full or in part by LIS include the monthly premiums, annual deductible, co-payments, and the coverage gap.

Individuals eligible for Medicaid, SSI, or MSP are deemed eligible for full LIS benefitsSee 42 C.F.R. § 423.773(c). LIS applications are treated as (“deemed”) applications for MSP benefits, See the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) of 2008, Pub. Law 110-275. II.

WHILE THE DAP APPEAL IS PENDING Does your client have health insurance?. If not, why isn’t s/he getting Medicaid, Family Health Plus or Child Health Plus?. There have been many recent changes which expand eligibility and streamline the application process. All/most of your DAP clients should qualify. Significant changes to Medicaid include.

Elimination of the resource test for certain categories of Medicaid applicants/recipients and all applicants to the Family Health Plus program. N.Y. Soc. Serv. L.

§369-ee (2), as amended by L. 2009, c. 58, pt. C, § 59-d. As of October 1, 2009, a resource test is no longer required for these categories.

Elimination of the fingerprinting requirement. N.Y. Soc. Serv. L.

§369-ee, as amended by L. 2009, c. 58, pt. C, § 62. Elimination of the waiting period for CHPlus.

N.Y. Pub. Health L. §2511, as amended by L. 2008, c.

58. Elimination of the face-to-face interview requirement for Medicaid, effective April 1, 2010. N.Y. Soc. Serv.

L. §366-a (1), as amended by L. 2009, c. 58, pt. C, § 60.

Higher income levels for Single Adults and Childless Couples. N.Y. Soc. Serv. L.

§366(1)(a)(1),(8) as amended by L. 2008, c. 58. See also. GIS 08 MA/022.

Higher income levels for Medicaid’s Medically Needy program. N.Y. Soc. Serv. L.

§366(2)(a)(7) as amended by L. 2008, c. 58. See also. GIS 08 MA/022 More detailed information on recent changes to Medicaid is available at.

III. AFTER CLIENT IS AWARDED DAP BENEFITS a. Medicaid eligibility. Clients receiving even $1.00 of SSI should qualify for Medicaid automatically. The process for qualifying will differ, however, depending on the source of payment.

1. Clients Receiving SSI Only. i. These clients are eligible for full Medicaid without a spend-down. See N.Y.

Medicaid coverage is automatic. No separate application/ recertification required. iii. Most SSI-only recipients are required to participate in Medicaid managed care. See N.Y.

Concurrent (SSI/SSD) cases. Eligible for full Medicaid since receiving SSI. See N.Y. Soc. Serv.

They can still qualify for Medicaid but may have a spend-down. Federal Law allows states to use a “spend-down” to extend Medicaid to “medically needy” persons in the federal mandatory categories (children, caretakers, elderly and disabled people) whose income or resources are above the eligibility level for regular Medicaid. See 42 U.S.C. § 1396 (a) (10) (ii) (XIII). ii.

Under spend-down, applicants in New York’s Medically Needy program can qualify for Medicaid once their income/resources, minus incurred medical expenses, fall below the specified level. For an explanation of spend-down, see 96 ADM 15. B. Family Health Plus Until your client qualifies for Medicare, those over-income for Medicaid may qualify for Family Health Plus without needing to satisfy a spend-down. It covers adults without children with income up to 100% of the FPL and adults with children up to 150% of the FPL.[1] The eligibility tests are the same as for regular Medicaid with two additional requirements.

Applicants must be between the ages of 19 and 64 and they generally must be uninsured. See N.Y. Soc. Serv. L.

§ 369-ee et. Seq. Once your client begins to receive Medicare, he or she will not be eligible for FHP, because FHP is generally only available to those without insurance. For more information on FHP see our article on Family Health Plus. IV.

LOOMING ISSUES - MEDICARE ELIGIBILITY (WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT) a. SSI-only cases Clients receiving only SSI aren’t eligible for Medicare until they turn 65, unless they also have End Stage Renal Disease. B. Concurrent (SSD and SSI) cases 1. Medicare eligibility kicks in beginning with 25th month of SSD receipt.

See 42 U.S.C. § 426(f). Exception. In 2000, Congress eliminated the 24-month waiting period for people diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease.) See 42 U.S.C. § 426 (h) 2.

Enrollment in Medicare is a condition of eligibility for Medicaid coverage. These clients cannot decline Medicare coverage. (05 OMM/ADM 5. Medicaid Reference Guide p. 344.1) 3.

Medicare coverage is not free. Although most individuals receive Part A without any premium, Part B has monthly premiums and significant cost-sharing components. 4. Medicaid and/or the Medicare Savings Program (MSP) should pick up most of Medicare’s cost sharing. Most SSI beneficiaries are eligible not only for full Medicaid, but also for the most comprehensive MSP, the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program.

I. Parts A &. B (hospital and outpatient/doctors visits). A. Medicaid will pick up premiums, deductibles, co-pays.

For those not enrolled in an MSP, SSA normally deducts the Part B premium directly from the monthly check. However, SSI recipients are supposed to be enrolled automatically in QMB, and Medicaid is responsible for covering the premiums. Part B premiums should never be deducted from these clients’ checks.[1] Medicaid and QMB-only recipients should NEVER be billed directly for Part A or B services. Even non-Medicaid providers are supposed to be able to bill Medicaid directly for services.[2] Clients are only responsible for Medicaid co-pay amount. See 42 U.S.C.

§ 1396a (n) ii. Part D (prescription drugs). a. Clients enrolled in Medicaid and/or MSP are deemed eligible for Low Income Subsidy (LIS aka Extra Help). See 42 C.F.R.

§ 423.773(c). SSA POMS SI § 01715.005A.5. New York State If client doesn’t enroll in Part D plan on his/her own, s/he will be automatically assigned to a benchmark[3] plan. See 42 C.F.R. § 423.34 (d).

LIS will pick up most of cost-sharing.[3] Because your clients are eligible for full LIS, they should have NO deductible and NO premium if they are in a benchmark plan, and will not be subject to the coverage gap (aka “donut hole”). See 42 C.F.R. §§ 423.780 and 423.782. The full LIS beneficiary will also have co-pays limited to either $1.10 or $3.30 (2010 amounts). See 42 C.F.R.

§ 423.104 (d) (5) (A). Other important points to remember. - Medicaid co-pay rules do not apply to Part D drugs. - Your client’s plan may not cover all his/her drugs. - You can help your clients find the plan that best suits their needs.

To figure out what the best Part D plans are best for your particular client, go to www.medicare.gov. Click on “formulary finder” and plug in your client’s medication list. You can enroll in a Part D plan through www.medicare.gov, or by contacting the plan directly. €“ Your clients can switch plans at any time during the year. Iii.

Part C (“Medicare Advantage”). a. Medicare Advantage plans provide traditional Medicare coverage (Parts A and B) through private managed care insurers. See 42 U.S.C. § 1395w, 42 C.F.R.

Pt. 422. Medicare Advantage participation is voluntary. For those clients enrolled in Medicare Advantage Plans, the QMB cost sharing obligations are the same as they are under traditional Medicare. Medicaid must cover any premiums required by the plan, up to the Part B premium amount.

Medicaid must also cover any co-payments and co-insurance under the plan. As with traditional Medicare, both providers and plans are prohibited from billing the beneficiary directly for these co-payments. C. SSD only individuals. 1.

Same Medicare eligibility criteria (24 month waiting period, except for persons w/ ALS). I. During the 24 month waiting period, explore eligibility for Medicaid or Family Health Plus. 2. Once Medicare eligibility begins.

ii. Parts A &. B. SSA will automatically enroll your client. Part B premiums will be deducted from monthly Social Security benefits.

(Part A will be free – no monthly premium) Clients have the right to decline ongoing Part B coverage, BUT this is almost never a good idea, and can cause all sorts of headaches if client ever wants to enroll in Part B in the future. (late enrollment penalty and can’t enroll outside of annual enrollment period, unless person is eligible for Medicare Savings Program – see more below) Clients can decline “retro” Part B coverage with no penalty on the Medicare side – just make sure they don’t actually need the coverage. Risky to decline if they had other coverage during the retro period – their other coverage may require that Medicare be utilized if available. Part A and Part B also have deductibles and co-pays. Medicaid and/or the MSPs can help cover this cost sharing.

iii. Part D. Client must affirmatively enroll in Part D, unless they receive LIS. See 42 U.S.C. § 1395w-101 (b) (2), 42 C.F.R.

§ 423.38 (a). Enrollment is done through individual private plans. LIS recipients will be auto-assigned to a Part D benchmark plan if they have not selected a plan on their own. Client can decline Part D coverage with no penalty if s/he has “comparable coverage.” 42 C.F.R. § 423.34 (d) (3) (i).

If no comparable coverage, person faces possible late enrollment penalty &. Limited enrollment periods. 42 C.F.R. § 423.46. However, clients receiving LIS do not incur any late enrollment penalty.

42 C.F.R. § 423.780 (e). Part D has a substantial cost-sharing component – deductibles, premiums and co-pays which vary from plan to plan. There is also the coverage gap, also known as “donut hole,” which can leave beneficiaries picking up 100% of the cost of their drugs until/unless a catastrophic spending limit is reached. The LIS program can help with Part D cost-sharing.

Use Medicare’s website to figure out what plan is best for your client. (Go to www.medicare.gov , click on “formulary finder” and plug in your client’s medication list. ) You can also enroll in a Part D plan directly through www.medicare.gov. Iii. Help with Medicare cost-sharing a.

Medicaid – After eligibility for Medicare starts, client may still be eligible for Medicaid, with or without a spend-down. There are lots of ways to help clients meet their spend-down – including - Medicare cost sharing amounts (deductibles, premiums, co-pays) - over the counter medications if prescribed by a doctor. - expenses paid by state-funded programs like EPIC and ADAP. - medical bills of person’s spouse or child. - health insurance premiums.

- joining a pooled Supplemental Needs Trust (SNT). B. Medicare Savings Program (MSP) – If client is not eligible for Medicaid, explore eligibility for Medicare Savings Program (MSP). MSP pays for Part B premiums and gets you into the Part D LIS. There are no asset limits in the Medicare Savings Program.

One of the MSPs (QMB), also covers all cost sharing for Parts A &. B. If your client is eligible for Medicaid AND MSP, enrolling in MSP may subject him/her to, or increase a spend-down, because Medicaid and the various MSPs have different income eligibility levels. It is the client’s choice as to whether or not to be enrolled into MSP. C.

Part D Low Income Subsidy (LIS) – If your client is not eligible for MSP or Medicaid, s/he may still be eligible for Part D Low Income Subsidy. Applications for LIS are also be treated as applications for MSP, unless the client affirmatively indicates that s/he does not want to apply for MSP. d. Medicare supplemental insurance (Medigap) -- Medigap is supplemental private insurance coverage that covers all or some of the deductibles and coinsurance for Medicare Parts A and B. Medigap is not available to people enrolled in Part C.

E. Medicare Advantage – Medicare Advantage plans “package” Medicare (Part A and B) benefits, with or without Part D coverage, through a private health insurance plan. The cost-sharing structure (deductible, premium, co-pays) varies from plan to plan. For a list of Medicare Advantage plans in your area, go to www.medicare.gov – click on “find health plans.” f. NY Prescription Saver Card -- NYP$ is a state-sponsored pharmacy discount card that can lower the cost of prescriptions by as much as 60 percent on generics and 30 percent on brand name drugs.

Can be used during the Part D “donut hole” (coverage gap) g. For clients living with HIV. ADAP [AIDS Drug Assistance Program] ADAP provides free medications for the treatment of HIV/AIDS and opportunistic s. ADAP can be used to help meet a Medicaid spenddown and get into the Part D Low Income subsidy. For more information about ADAP, go to V.

GETTING MEDICAID IN THE DISABLED CATEGORY AFTER AN SSI/SSDI DENIAL What if your client's application for SSI or SSDI is denied based on SSA's finding that they were not "disabled?. " Obviously, you have your appeals work cut out for you, but in the meantime, what can they do about health insurance?. It is still possible to have Medicaid make a separate disability determination that is not controlled by the unfavorable SSA determination in certain situations. Specifically, an applicant is entitled to a new disability determination where he/she. alleges a different or additional disabling condition than that considered by SSA in making its determination.

Or alleges less than 12 months after the most recent unfavorable SSA disability determination that his/her condition has changed or deteriorated, alleges a new period of disability which meets the duration requirement, and SSA has refused to reopen or reconsider the allegations, or the individual is now ineligible for SSA benefits for a non-medical reason. Or alleges more than 12 months after the most recent unfavorable SSA disability determination that his/her condition has changed or deteriorated since the SSA determination and alleges a new period of disability which meets the duration requirement, and has not applied to SSA regarding these allegations. See GIS 10-MA-014 and 08 OHIP/INF-03.[4] [1] Potential wrinkle – for some clients Medicaid is not automatically pick up cost-sharing. In Monroe County we have had several cases where SSA began deducting Medicare Part B premiums from the checks of clients who were receiving SSI and Medicaid and then qualified for Medicare. The process should be automatic.

Please contact Geoffrey Hale in our Rochester office if you encounter any cases like this. [2]Under terms established to provide benefits for QMBs, a provider agreement necessary for reimbursement “may be executed through the submission of a claim to the Medicaid agency requesting Medicaid payment for Medicare deductibles and coinsurance for QMBs.” CMS State Medicaid Manual, Chapter 3, Eligibility, 3490.14 (b), available at. http://www.cms.hhs.gov/Manuals/PBM/itemdetail.asp?. ItemID=CMS021927. [3]Benchmark plans are free if you are an LIS recipient.

The amount of the benchmark changes from year to year. In 2013, a Part D plan in New York State is considered benchmark if it provides basic Part D coverage and its monthly premium is $43.22 or less. [4] These citations courtesy of Jim Murphy at Legal Services of Central New York. This site provides general information only. This is not legal advice.

You can only obtain legal advice from a lawyer. In addition, your use of this site does not create an attorney-client relationship. To contact a lawyer, visit http://lawhelp.org/ny. We make every effort to keep these materials and links up-to-date and in accordance with New York City, New York state and federal law. However, we do not guarantee the accuracy of this information..

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Moreover, early prenatal where to get amoxil pills diagnosis, the ability to assess severity and the developmental important source nature of the condition generate the perfect rationale for fetal therapy. Shortcomings of currently available clinical therapies in combination with increased understanding of CDH pathophysiology have spurred experimental drug trials, exploring new therapeutic mechanisms to tackle CDH-PH. We herein discuss clinically available neonatal and fetal therapies specifically targeting CDH-PH and review the most promising experimental treatments and future research avenues.intensive care unitsneonatalneonatologyData availability statementNo data are available..

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Credit more info here amoxil 400mg. IStock Share Fast Facts New @HopkinsMedicine study finds African-American women with common form of hair loss at increased risk of uterine fibroids - Click to Tweet New study in @JAMADerm shows most common form of alopecia (hair loss) in African-American women associated with higher risks of uterine fibroids - Click to Tweet In a study of medical records gathered on hundreds of thousands of African-American women, Johns Hopkins researchers say they have evidence that women with a common form of hair loss have an increased chance of developing uterine leiomyomas, or fibroids.In a report on the research, published in the December 27 issue of JAMA Dermatology, the researchers call on physicians who treat women with central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA) to make patients aware that they may be at increased risk for fibroids and should be screened for the condition, particularly if they have symptoms such as heavy bleeding and pain. CCCA predominantly affects black women and is the most common form of permanent alopecia in this amoxil 400mg population. The excess scar tissue that forms as a result of this type of hair loss may also explain the higher risk for uterine fibroids, which are characterized by fibrous growths in the lining of the womb.

Crystal Aguh, M.D., assistant professor of dermatology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, says the scarring associated with CCCA is similar to the scarring associated with excess fibrous tissue elsewhere in the body, a situation that may explain why women with this type of hair loss are at a higher risk for fibroids.People of African descent, she notes, are more prone to develop other disorders of abnormal scarring, termed fibroproliferative disorders, such as keloids (a type amoxil 400mg of raised scar after trauma), scleroderma (an autoimmune disorder marked by thickening of the skin as well as internal organs), some types of lupus and clogged arteries. During a four-year period from 2013-2017, the researchers analyzed patient data from the Johns Hopkins electronic medical record system (Epic) of 487,104 black women ages 18 and over. The prevalence of those with amoxil 400mg fibroids was compared in patients with and without CCCA. Overall, the researchers found that 13.9 percent of women with CCCA also had a history of uterine fibroids compared to only 3.3 percent of black women without the condition.

In absolute numbers, out of the 486,000 women who were reviewed, 16,212 had fibroids.Within that population, 447 had CCCA, of which 62 had fibroids. The findings translate to a fivefold increased risk of uterine fibroids in women with CCCA, compared to age, sex and race amoxil 400mg matched controls. Aguh cautions that their study does not suggest any cause and effect relationship, or prove a common cause for both conditions. €œThe cause of the link between the two amoxil 400mg conditions remains unclear,” she says.

However, the association was strong enough, she adds, to recommend that physicians and patients be made aware of it. Women with this type of scarring alopecia should be screened not only for fibroids, but also for other disorders associated with excess fibrous amoxil 400mg tissue, Aguh says. An estimated 70 percent of white women and between 80 and 90 percent of African-American women will develop fibroids by age 50, according to the NIH, and while CCCA is likely underdiagnosed, some estimates report a prevalence of rates as high as 17 percent of black women having this condition. The other authors on amoxil 400mg this paper were Ginette A.

Okoye, M.D. Of Johns Hopkins and Yemisi Dina of Meharry Medical College.Credit. The New England Journal of Medicine Share Fast Facts This study clears up how big an amoxil 400mg effect the mutational burden has on outcomes to immune checkpoint inhibitors across many different cancer types. - Click to Tweet The number of mutations in a tumor’s DNA is a good predictor of whether it will respond to a class of cancer immunotherapy drugs known as checkpoint inhibitors.

- Click to Tweet The “mutational burden,” or the number of amoxil 400mg mutations present in a tumor’s DNA, is a good predictor of whether that cancer type will respond to a class of cancer immunotherapy drugs known as checkpoint inhibitors, a new study led by Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers shows. The finding, published in the Dec. 21 New amoxil 400mg England Journal of Medicine, could be used to guide future clinical trials for these drugs. Checkpoint inhibitors are a relatively new class of drug that helps the immune system recognize cancer by interfering with mechanisms cancer cells use to hide from immune cells.

As a result, the drugs cause the immune system to fight cancer buy amoxil online in the same way that it would fight an . These medicines have had remarkable success in treating some types of cancers that historically have had poor prognoses, such amoxil 400mg as advanced melanoma and lung cancer. However, these therapies have had little effect on other deadly cancer types, such as pancreatic cancer and glioblastoma. The mutational burden of certain amoxil 400mg tumor types has previously been proposed as an explanation for why certain cancers respond better than others to immune checkpoint inhibitors says study leader Mark Yarchoan, M.D., chief medical oncology fellow.

Work by Dung Le, M.D., associate professor of oncology, and other researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and its Bloomberg~Kimmel Cancer Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy showed that colon cancers that carry a high number of mutations are more likely to respond to checkpoint inhibitors than those that have fewer mutations. However, exactly how big an effect the mutational burden has on amoxil 400mg outcomes to immune checkpoint inhibitors across many different cancer types was unclear. To investigate this question, Yarchoan and colleagues Alexander Hopkins, Ph.D., research fellow, and Elizabeth Jaffee, M.D., co-director of the Skip Viragh Center for Pancreas Cancer Clinical Research and Patient Care and associate director of the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute, combed the medical literature for the results of clinical trials using checkpoint inhibitors on various different types of cancer. They combined these findings with data on the mutational burden of thousands of tumor samples from patients with amoxil 400mg different tumor types.

Analyzing 27 different cancer types for which both pieces of information were available, the researchers found a strong correlation. The higher a cancer type’s mutational burden tends to be, the more likely it is to respond to checkpoint inhibitors. More than half of the differences in how amoxil 400mg well cancers responded to immune checkpoint inhibitors could be explained by the mutational burden of that cancer. €œThe idea that a tumor type with more mutations might be easier to treat than one with fewer sounds a little counterintuitive.

It’s one of those things that doesn’t sound right when you amoxil 400mg hear it,” says Hopkins. €œBut with immunotherapy, the more mutations you have, the more chances the immune system has to recognize the tumor.” Although this finding held true for the vast majority of cancer types they studied, there were some outliers in their analysis, says Yarchoan. For example, Merkel cell cancer, a rare and highly aggressive skin cancer, tends to have a moderate number of mutations yet amoxil 400mg responds extremely well to checkpoint inhibitors. However, he explains, this cancer type is often caused by a amoxil, which seems to encourage a strong immune response despite the cancer’s lower mutational burden.

In contrast, the most common type of colorectal cancer has moderate mutational burden, yet responds poorly to checkpoint inhibitors for reasons that are still unclear. Yarchoan notes amoxil 400mg that these findings could help guide clinical trials to test checkpoint inhibitors on cancer types for which these drugs haven’t yet been tried. Future studies might also focus on finding ways to prompt cancers with low mutational burdens to behave like those with higher mutational burdens so that they will respond better to these therapies. He and his colleagues plan to extend this line of research by investigating whether mutational burden might be a good predictor of whether cancers in individual patients might respond well to this class of immunotherapy drugs.

€œThe end goal is precision medicine—moving beyond what’s true for big groups of patients to see whether we can use this information to help any given patient,” he says. Yarchoan receives funding from the Norman &. Ruth Rales Foundation and the Conquer Cancer Foundation. Through a licensing agreement with Aduro Biotech, Jaffee has the potential to receive royalties in the future..

Credit. IStock Share Fast Facts New @HopkinsMedicine study finds African-American women with common form of hair loss at increased risk of uterine fibroids - Click to Tweet New study in @JAMADerm shows most common form of alopecia (hair loss) in African-American women associated with higher risks of uterine fibroids - Click to Tweet In a study of medical records gathered on hundreds of thousands of African-American women, Johns Hopkins researchers say they have evidence that women with a common form of hair loss have an increased chance of developing uterine leiomyomas, or fibroids.In a report on the research, published in the December 27 issue of JAMA Dermatology, the researchers call on physicians who treat women with central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA) to make patients aware that they may be at increased risk for fibroids and should be screened for the condition, particularly if they have symptoms such as heavy bleeding and pain. CCCA predominantly affects black women and is the most common form of permanent alopecia in this population. The excess scar tissue that forms as a result of this type of hair loss may also explain the higher risk for uterine fibroids, which are characterized by fibrous growths in the lining of the womb.

Crystal Aguh, M.D., assistant professor of dermatology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, says the scarring associated with CCCA is similar to the scarring associated with excess fibrous tissue elsewhere in the body, a situation that may explain why women with this type of hair loss are at a higher risk for fibroids.People of African descent, she notes, are more prone to develop other disorders of abnormal scarring, termed fibroproliferative disorders, such as keloids (a type of raised scar after trauma), scleroderma (an autoimmune disorder marked by thickening of the skin as well as internal organs), some types of lupus and clogged arteries. During a four-year period from 2013-2017, the researchers analyzed patient data from the Johns Hopkins electronic medical record system (Epic) of 487,104 black women ages 18 and over. The prevalence of those with fibroids was compared in patients with and without CCCA. Overall, the researchers found that 13.9 percent of women with CCCA also had a history of uterine fibroids compared to only 3.3 percent of black women without the condition.

In absolute numbers, out of the 486,000 women who were reviewed, 16,212 had fibroids.Within that population, 447 had CCCA, of which 62 had fibroids. The findings translate to a fivefold increased risk of uterine fibroids in women with CCCA, compared to age, sex and race matched controls. Aguh cautions that their study does not suggest any cause and effect relationship, or prove a common cause for both conditions. €œThe cause of the link between the two conditions remains unclear,” she says.

However, the association was strong enough, she adds, to recommend that physicians and patients be made aware of it. Women with this type of scarring alopecia should be screened not only for fibroids, but also for other disorders associated with excess fibrous tissue, Aguh says. An estimated 70 percent of white women and between 80 and 90 percent of African-American women will develop fibroids by age 50, according to the NIH, and while CCCA is likely underdiagnosed, some estimates report a prevalence of rates as high as 17 percent of black women having this condition. The other authors on this paper were Ginette A.

Okoye, M.D. Of Johns Hopkins and Yemisi Dina of Meharry Medical College.Credit. The New England Journal of Medicine Share Fast Facts This study clears up how big an effect the mutational burden has on outcomes to immune checkpoint inhibitors across many different cancer types. - Click to Tweet The number of mutations in a tumor’s DNA is a good predictor of whether it will respond to a class of cancer immunotherapy drugs known as checkpoint inhibitors.

- Click to Tweet The “mutational burden,” or the number of mutations present in a tumor’s DNA, is a good predictor of whether that cancer type will respond to a class of cancer immunotherapy drugs known as checkpoint inhibitors, a new study led by Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center researchers shows. The finding, published in the Dec. 21 New England Journal of Medicine, could be used to guide future clinical trials for these drugs. Checkpoint inhibitors are a relatively new class of drug that helps the immune system recognize cancer by interfering with mechanisms cancer cells use to hide from immune cells.

As a result, the drugs cause the immune system to fight cancer in the same way that it would fight an . These medicines have had remarkable success in treating some types of cancers that historically have had poor prognoses, such as advanced melanoma and lung cancer. However, these therapies have had little effect on other deadly cancer types, such as pancreatic cancer and glioblastoma. The mutational burden of certain tumor types has previously been proposed as an explanation for why certain cancers respond better than others to immune checkpoint inhibitors says study leader Mark Yarchoan, M.D., chief medical oncology fellow.

Work by Dung Le, M.D., associate professor of oncology, and other researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center and its Bloomberg~Kimmel Cancer Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy showed that colon cancers that carry a high number of mutations are more likely to respond to checkpoint inhibitors than those that have fewer mutations. However, exactly how big an effect the mutational burden has on outcomes to immune checkpoint inhibitors across many different cancer types was unclear. To investigate this question, Yarchoan and colleagues Alexander Hopkins, Ph.D., research fellow, and Elizabeth Jaffee, M.D., co-director of the Skip Viragh Center for Pancreas Cancer Clinical Research and Patient Care and associate director of the Bloomberg~Kimmel Institute, combed the medical literature for the results of clinical trials using checkpoint inhibitors on various different types of cancer. They combined these findings with data on the mutational burden of thousands of tumor samples from patients with different tumor types.

Analyzing 27 different cancer types for which both pieces of information were available, the researchers found a strong correlation. The higher a cancer type’s mutational burden tends to be, the more likely it is to respond to checkpoint inhibitors. More than half of the differences in how well cancers responded to immune checkpoint inhibitors could be explained by the mutational burden of that cancer. €œThe idea that a tumor type with more mutations might be easier to treat than one with fewer sounds a little counterintuitive.

It’s one of those things that doesn’t sound right when you hear it,” says Hopkins. €œBut with immunotherapy, the more mutations you have, the more chances the immune system has to recognize the tumor.” Although this finding held true for the vast majority of cancer types they studied, there were some outliers in their analysis, says Yarchoan. For example, Merkel cell cancer, a rare and highly aggressive skin cancer, tends to have a moderate number of mutations yet responds extremely well to checkpoint inhibitors. However, he explains, this cancer type is often caused by a amoxil, which seems to encourage a strong immune response despite the cancer’s lower mutational burden.

In contrast, the most common type of colorectal cancer has moderate mutational burden, yet responds poorly to checkpoint inhibitors for reasons that are still unclear. Yarchoan notes that these findings could help guide clinical trials to test checkpoint inhibitors on cancer types for which these drugs haven’t yet been tried. Future studies might also focus on finding ways to prompt cancers with low mutational burdens to behave like those with higher mutational burdens so that they will respond better to these therapies. He and his colleagues plan to extend this line of research by investigating whether mutational burden might be a good predictor of whether cancers in individual patients might respond well to this class of immunotherapy drugs.

€œThe end goal is precision medicine—moving beyond what’s true for big groups of patients to see whether we can use this information to help any given patient,” he says. Yarchoan receives funding from the Norman &. Ruth Rales Foundation and the Conquer Cancer Foundation. Through a licensing agreement with Aduro Biotech, Jaffee has the potential to receive royalties in the future..