News Briefs: HHS approves Medicaid expansion prescription in IL
Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson has approved a demonstration program in Illinois that will give an estimated 368,000 low-income seniors prescription drug coverage through the Medicaid program. He also launched a new initiative to make it easier for other states to take similar steps to aid seniors.
In addition, Secretary Thompson announced a model demonstration application form, Pharmacy Plus, which will allow states to immediately expand Medicaid coverage for prescription drugs to Medicare beneficiaries and other individuals with family incomes up to 200% of the federal poverty level. The streamlined application, available electronically, is designed to allow states to move quickly to implement effective programs expanding prescription drug benefits to low-income people.
Eligibility for the Illinois demonstration program would be limited to individuals and families with incomes up to twice the federal poverty level ($23,220 for a family of two). Individuals could pay an annual enrollment fee of $5 or $25, depending on their income levels.
In Illinois, Medicaid would pay virtually all the costs of prescriptions up to a total of $1,750 each year, with enrollees responsible only for a co-payment of $3 or less for each prescription. Medicaid would pay roughly 80% of the costs of additional prescriptions, with enrollees paying 20% plus the co-payment.
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