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Amendments to Regulations Regarding Eligibility for a Medicare Prescription Drug Subsidy

SSA · ssa-other · Published 2010-12-29 · Effective 2011-01-01 · 75 FR 81843

Document

Document number
2010-32848
Federal Register citation
75 FR 81843
CFR reference
20 CFR 418
Type
Rule
Action
Interim final rule with request for comments.
Category
ssa-other
Agency
US Social Security Administration
Publication date
2010-12-29
Effective date
2011-01-01
Docket
Docket No. SSA-2010-0033

Abstract

We are revising our regulations to incorporate changes to the Medicare prescription drug coverage low-income subsidy (Extra Help) program made by the Affordable Care Act which was enacted on March 23, 2010. Under our interpretation of section 3304 of the Affordable Care Act and this interim final rule, if the death of a beneficiary's spouse would decrease or eliminate the subsidy provided by the Extra Help program, we will, based on a determination, or redetermination, extend the effective period of eligibility for the most recent determination or redetermination until 1 year after the month following the month we are notified of the death of the spouse. These regulatory changes will allow us to implement this provision of the Affordable Care Act when it goes into effect on January 1, 2011. We are also revising our regulations to incorporate changes made by the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA), which affect the way we account for income and resources when determining eligibility for the Extra Help program. The statute provides that we no longer count as a resource the value of any life insurance policy for Extra Help applications filed, or redeterminations that are effective, on or after January 1, 2010. In addition, we will no longer count as income the help a beneficiary receives when someone else provides food and shelter, or pays household bills for food, mortgage, rent, electricity, water, property taxes, or heating fuel or gas. These revisions will update our rules to reflect these statutory changes.

Source

Authoritative
Federal Register document
Machine
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