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On February 9, 2024, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued updated instructions for states to implement policies for the Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) in the Streamlining Medicaid; Medicare Savings Program Eligibility and Enrollment Final Rule (CMS 2421-F) in advance of upcoming compliance dates.
The final rule simplifies MSP eligibility and enrollment processes by:
- Automatically enrolling most Medicare-enrolled SSI recipients into the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) group, which covers Medicare premiums and cost-sharing. Compliance deadline: no later than October 1, 2024.
- Better leveraging the Medicare Part D Low Income Subsidy (LIS) program to enroll eligible individuals in the MSPs, including maximizing use of LIS “leads” data and defining “family of the size involved” for MSP groups using the definition of “family size” in the LIS program. Compliance deadline: no later than April 1, 2026.
- Reducing documentation requirements for MSP applicants prior to enrollment. Compliance deadline: no later than April 1, 2026.
States can direct questions about these policies to Modernizethemsps@cms.hhs.gov
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