Medicare Savings Programs And Low Income Subsidy PDF Download

Congress established four Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) and the Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) program to help low-income beneficiaries pay for some or all of Medicare's cost-sharing requirements. Historically low enrollment in MSPs has been attributed to lack of awareness about the programs and cumbersome enrollment processes through state Medicaid programs. The Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (MIPPA) included requirements for the Social Security Admin. (SSA) and state Medicaid agencies aimed at eliminating barriers to MSP enrollment. Most notably, MIPPA created a new pathway to MSP enrollment by requiring SSA, beginning Jan. 1, 2010, to transfer the information from a LIS application to the relevant state Medicaid agency, and the state must initiate an application for MSP enrollment. This report describes (1) SSA's implementation of the requirements; (2) how MSP enrollment levels have changed from 2007 through 2011 and the factors that may have contributed to those changes; and (3) the effects of the MIPPA requirements on states' administration of MSPs. Tables. This is a print on demand report.