ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Low-income retired Maryland state employees will receive financial assistance while transitioning to Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage, Gov. Larry Hogan's office announced Friday.
As part of state pension reform legislation passed in 2011, retired state employees eligible for Medicare will be moving from the state’s prescription program to the federal Medicare Part D program on Jan. 1, 2019.
The state will institute a one-year transition program that will reimburse all out-of-pocket pharmaceutical expenses for impacted retirees in excess of $1,500, which is the limit under the current state plan. This program will be open to all state retirees shifting to Medicare Part D prescription coverage on Jan. 1, 2019.
Also, the state will provide further ongoing assistance for these retirees through the existing Senior Prescription Drug Assistance Program (SPDAP) in the Maryland Department of Health, via the Department of Budget and Management.
SPDAP assists low- and middle-income Maryland residents with their Medicare Part D premium and coverage gap costs and applies to people whose income is 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Level or below (less than $36,420 for one person and $49,380 for two people.
Program details will be shared as they are finalized and will be posted on the DBM benefits website at http://dbm.maryland.gov/benefits/pages/default.aspx, according to the Hogan administration.
The administration made the announcement in conjunction with Senate President Thomas V. “Mike” Miller and Speaker of the House Michael E. Busch.
