The U.S. Department of Health & Humans Services is taking action to increase awareness of and enrollment in the Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidy (LIS), also known as “Extra Help.” New data shows that 3 million older adults and people with disabilities are eligible for but not enrolled in Extra Help. The data includes key demographic information like age, gender, race and ethnicity, marital status, living arrangement, metro status, limited English proficiency, and disability status, to help identify disparities and underserved populations. To reach these individuals and enroll them in Extra Help, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are using new national data, SHIPs, and other grantees to target people in rural and underserved communities. The Extra Help program covers Part D premiums and cost-sharing for prescription drugs for people with limited resources and income below 150% of the federal poverty level ($21,870 in 2023). Thanks to the Lower Cost Prescription Drug Law that was part of the Inflation Reduction Act, everyone who qualifies for Extra Help will be eligible for Part D plans with no premiums, no deductible, and lower fixed co-pays in 2024. The expanded Extra Help benefit will save people who are currently only eligible for the partial subsidy $300 per year on average, and some people who need high cost prescription drugs will save thousands of dollars due to the full LIS’s use of copays instead of coinsurance. CMS has created new outreach tools for advocates and aging services providers to promote Extra Help to the older adults and people with disabilities they serve. Check out the Extra Help social media toolkit and Cut your Medicare prescription drug costs with “Extra Help” flyer, and find all these materials and more in this HHS fact sheet. | |
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