§1395w–114. Premium and cost-sharing subsidies for low-income individuals — Inbound Citations

(A) Premium and cost-sharing subsidies under section 1860D–14 of the Social Security Act [42 U.S.C. 1395w–114].

(A) identify individuals entitled to benefits under the medicare program under subchapter XVIII who may be eligible for medical assistance for payment of the cost of medicare cost-sharing under the medicaid program pursuant to sections 1396a(a)(10)(E) and 1396u–3 of this title¹ for the transitional assistance under section 1395w–141(f) of this title, or for premium and cost-sharing subsidies under section 1395w–114 of this title; and

(2) Any notice furnished under paragraph (1) shall state that eligibility for medicare cost-sharing assistance, the transitional assistance under section 1395w–141(f) of this title, or premium and cost-sharing subsidies under section 1395w–114 of this title under such sections is conditioned upon—

(A) the individual providing to the State information about income and resources (in the case of an individual residing in a State that imposes an assets test for eligibility for medicare cost-sharing under the medicaid program); and

(B) meeting the applicable eligibility criteria.

(A) furnish the agency of each State responsible for the administration of the medicaid program and any other appropriate State agency with information consisting of the name and address of individuals residing in the State that the Commissioner determines may be eligible for medical assistance for payment of the cost of medicare cost-sharing under the medicaid program pursuant to sections 1396a(a)(10)(E) and 1396u–3 of this title, for transitional assistance under section 1395w–141(f) of this title, or for premium and cost-sharing subsidies for low-income individuals under section 1395w–114 of this title; and

(1) For each individual who submits an application for low-income subsidies under section 1395w–114 of this title, requests an application for such subsidies, or is otherwise identified as an individual who is potentially eligible for such subsidies, the Commissioner shall do the following:

(A) Provide information describing the low-income subsidy program under section 1395w–114 of this title and the Medicare Savings Program (as defined in paragraph (7)).

(B) Provide an application for enrollment under such low-income subsidy program (if not already received by the Commissioner).

(C) In accordance with paragraph (3), transmit data from such an application for purposes of initiating an application for benefits under the Medicare Savings Program.

(D) Provide information on how the individual may obtain assistance in completing such application and an application under the Medicare Savings Program, including information on how the individual may contact the State health insurance assistance program (SHIP).

(E) Make the application described in subparagraph (B) and the information described in subparagraphs (A) and (D) available at local offices of the Social Security Administration.

(A) Provide information describing the low-income subsidy program under section 1395w–114 of this title and the Medicare Savings Program (as defined in paragraph (7)).

(ii) There are hereby appropriated to the Commissioner, out of any funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $24,800,000 for fiscal year 2009 to carry out low-income subsidy activities under section 1395w–114 of this title and the Medicare Savings Program (in accordance with this subsection), to remain available until expended. Such funds shall be in addition to the Social Security Administration’s Limitation on Administrative Expenditure appropriations for such fiscal year.

(aa) under section 1395w–114 of this title;

(6) Except as provided in section 1395w–113(b) of this title (relating to late enrollment penalty) and subject to section 1395w–114 of this title (relating to low-income assistance), the monthly beneficiary premium to be charged under a fallback prescription drug plan offered in all fallback service areas in a PDP region shall be uniform and shall be equal to 25.5 percent (or, for 2030 and each subsequent year, the percent specified under section 1395w–113(a)(9) of this title) of an amount equal to the Secretary’s estimate of the average monthly per capita actuarial cost, including administrative expenses, under the fallback prescription drug plan of providing coverage in the region, as calculated by the Chief Actuary of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. In calculating such administrative expenses, the Chief Actuary shall use a factor that is based on similar expenses of prescription drug plans that are not fallback prescription drug plans.

(1) The Secretary shall not permit the enrollment under section 1395w–101 of this title in a prescription drug plan offered by a PDP sponsor under this part, and the sponsor shall not be eligible for payments under section 1395w–114 or 1395w–115 of this title, unless the Secretary has entered into a contract under this subsection with the sponsor with respect to the offering of such plan. Such a contract with a sponsor may cover more than one prescription drug plan. Such contract shall provide that the sponsor agrees to comply with the applicable requirements and standards of this part and the terms and conditions of payment as provided for in this part.

(E) The monthly beneficiary premium is subject to decrease in the case of a subsidy eligible individual under section 1395w–114 of this title.

(ii) the sum of (I) the total reinsurance payments made under subsection (b) to the sponsor of the plan for the year, and (II) the total subsidy payments made under section 1395w–114 of this title to the sponsor of the plan for the year.

(A) payments under section 1395w–114 of this title (relating to low-income subsidy payments);

(iii) Subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) shall not apply to any determinations of eligibility for premium and cost-sharing subsidies under and in accordance with section 1395w–114 of this title made by the State pursuant to section 1396u–5(a)(2) of this title.

(A) make determinations of eligibility for premium and cost-sharing subsidies under and in accordance with section 1395w–114 of this title;

(C) otherwise provide the Secretary with such information as may be required to carry out part D, other than subpart 4, of subchapter XVIII (including section 1395w–114 of this title).

(i) For plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2025, each PDP sponsor offering a prescription drug plan and each MA organization offering an MA–PD plan shall provide to any enrollee of such plan, including an enrollee who is a subsidy eligible individual (as defined in paragraph (3) of section 1395w–114(a) of this title), the option to elect with respect to a plan year to pay cost-sharing under the plan in monthly amounts that are capped in accordance with this subparagraph.

(C) is not entitled to an income-related subsidy under section 1395w–114(a) of this title; and

(B) For purposes of this subsection, the term “allowable risk corridor costs” means, with respect to a prescription drug plan offered by a PDP sponsor or an MA–PD plan offered by an MA organization, the part of costs (not including administrative costs, but including costs directly related to the dispensing of covered part D drugs during the year) incurred by the sponsor or organization under the plan that are actually paid (net of discounts, chargebacks, and average percentage rebates) by the sponsor or organization under the plan, but in no case more than the part of such costs that would have been paid under the plan if the prescription drug coverage under the plan were basic prescription drug coverage, or, in the case of a plan providing supplemental prescription drug coverage, if such coverage were basic prescription drug coverage taking into account the adjustment under section 1395w–111(c)(2) of this title. In computing allowable costs under this paragraph, the Secretary shall compute such costs based upon imposition under paragraphs (1)(D) and (2)(E) of section 1395w–114(a) of this title of the maximum amount of copayments permitted under such paragraphs.

(C) The process established under subparagraph (A) shall include, except as provided in subparagraph (D), in the case of a part D eligible individual who is a full-benefit dual eligible individual (as defined in section 1396u–5(c)(6) of this title) who has failed to enroll in a prescription drug plan or an MA–PD plan, for the enrollment in a prescription drug plan that has a monthly beneficiary premium that does not exceed the premium assistance available under section 1395w–114(a)(1)(A) of this title).¹ If there is more than one such plan available, the Secretary shall enroll such an individual on a random basis among all such plans in the PDP region. Nothing in the previous sentence shall prevent such an individual from declining or changing such enrollment.

(ii) For a year after 2006, the dollar amounts specified in clause (i)(I)(aa) shall be equal to the dollar amounts specified in this subparagraph for the previous year, increased by the annual percentage increase described in paragraph (6) for the year involved. Any amount established under this clause that is not a multiple of a 5 cents shall be rounded to the nearest multiple of 5 cents. The Secretary shall continue to calculate the dollar amounts specified in clause (i)(I)(aa), including with the adjustment under this clause, after 2023 for purposes of section 1395w–114(a)(1)(D)(iii) of this title.

(G) the waiver or reduction by pharmacies (including pharmacies of the Indian Health Service, Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations) of any cost-sharing imposed under part D of subchapter XVIII, if the conditions described in clauses (i) through (iii) of section 1320a–7a(i)(6)(A) of this title are met with respect to the waiver or reduction (except that, in the case of such a waiver or reduction on behalf of a subsidy eligible individual (as defined in section 1395w–114(a)(3) of this title), section 1320a–7a(i)(6)(A) of this title shall be applied without regard to clauses (ii) and (iii) of that section);

(D) The process established under subparagraph (A) may include, in the case of a part D eligible individual who is a subsidy eligible individual (as defined in section 1395w–114(a)(3) of this title) who has failed to enroll in a prescription drug plan or an MA–PD plan, for the enrollment in a prescription drug plan or MA–PD plan that has waived the monthly beneficiary premium for such subsidy eligible individual under section 1395w–114(a)(5) of this title. If there is more than one such plan available, the Secretary shall enroll such an individual under the preceding sentence on a random basis among all such plans in the PDP region. Nothing in the previous sentence shall prevent such an individual from declining or changing such enrollment.

(8) In no case shall a part D eligible individual who is determined to be a subsidy eligible individual (as defined in section 1395w–114(a)(3) of this title) be subject to an increase in the monthly beneficiary premium established under subsection (a).

(i) In the case of an applicable drug of a specified manufacturer (as defined in clause (ii)) that is marketed as of August 16, 2022, and dispensed for an applicable beneficiary who is a subsidy eligible individual (as defined in section 1395w–114(a)(3) of this title), the term “discounted price” means the specified LIS percent (as defined in clause (iii)) of the negotiated price of the applicable drug of the manufacturer.

(C) whose resources (as determined under section 1382b of this title for purposes of the supplemental security income program) do not exceed twice the maximum amount of resources that an individual may have and obtain benefits under that program or, effective beginning with January 1, 2010, whose resources (as so determined) do not exceed the maximum resource level applied for the year under subparagraph (D) of section 1395w–114(a)(3) of this title (determined without regard to the life insurance policy exclusion provided under subparagraph (G) of such section) applicable to an individual or to the individual and the individual’s spouse (as the case may be).

(18) The term “subsidy eligible individual” has the meaning given such term in section 1395w–114(a)(3)(A) of this title.

(C) whose resources (as determined under section 1382b of this title for purposes of the supplemental security income program) do not exceed twice the maximum amount of resources that an individual may have and obtain benefits under that program or, effective beginning with January 1, 2010, whose resources (as so determined) do not exceed the maximum resource level applied for the year under subparagraph (D) of section 1395w–114(a)(3) of this title (determined without regard to the life insurance policy exclusion provided under subparagraph (G) of such section) applicable to an individual or to the individual and the individual’s spouse (as the case may be).

(D) The process established under subparagraph (A) may include, in the case of a part D eligible individual who is a subsidy eligible individual (as defined in section 1395w–114(a)(3) of this title) who has failed to enroll in a prescription drug plan or an MA–PD plan, for the enrollment in a prescription drug plan or MA–PD plan that has waived the monthly beneficiary premium for such subsidy eligible individual under section 1395w–114(a)(5) of this title. If there is more than one such plan available, the Secretary shall enroll such an individual under the preceding sentence on a random basis among all such plans in the PDP region. Nothing in the previous sentence shall prevent such an individual from declining or changing such enrollment.

(ii) reimbursement for premium and cost-sharing reductions for low-income individuals under section 1395w–114(c)(1)(C) of this title.