The legislation would make low-income Medicare beneficiaries in Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories eligible for federal subsidies to help cover their monthly Medicare Part D premiums and out-of-pocket prescription drug costs
U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee that sets national health policy, was joined by Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) today in reintroducing legislation to provide parity for American seniors living in Puerto Rico and other U.S. Territories in Medicare Part D. The Territories Medicare Prescription Drug Assistance Equity Act would make Medicare beneficiaries across the U.S. territories eligible for the Medicare Part D Low Income Subsidy program. This program, also known as “Extra Help,” provides federal subsidies to help low-income seniors with their monthly premiums and other out-of-pocket prescription drug costs.
“Low-income seniors in Puerto Rico and across the rest of the U.S. territories deserve the same access to life saving medications as any senior citizen on the mainland,” said Sen. Menendez. “This long overdue legislation would ensure that all American seniors, regardless of the state or territory where they reside, can access the health care they need and deserve by extending premium assistance and cost-sharing assistance for citizens living in Puerto Rico or any other U.S. Territory.”
“The Medicare Part D Low Income Subsidy Program has provided much-needed financial aid to low-income seniors to help pay for their health insurance premiums and prescription drug costs,” said Sen. Booker. “Expanding this vital program to include seniors in Puerto Rico and other U.S. Territories is critically important to ensuring that quality, affordable health care is accessible to all seniors.”
“This legislation will cut prescription drug costs for low-income seniors across Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories,” said Sen. Blumenthal. “While federal cost-saving subsidies should be available to all U.S. citizens regardless of where they live, current regulations exclude those living in territories – often resulting in skipped doses and higher out-of-pocket expenses. By expanding premium and cost-sharing assistance programs, this effort will improve health outcomes and put money back into the pockets of hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries.”
“Thousands of low-income senior citizens living in Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories rely on Medicare for lifesaving health care,” said Sen. Gillibrand. “They deserve the same access to low-cost prescription drugs as those on the mainland. Especially as we continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s critical that we ensure that Medicare beneficiaries can afford their treatments, no matter where they live. I look forward to working with my colleagues to make sure health care in Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories is affordable, accessible and equitable.”
Currently, low-income Medicare beneficiaries in Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories are ineligible for Medicare Part D subsidies under the “Extra Help” federal program. Instead, each territory receives a fixed amount of federal grant funding to provide low-income Medicare beneficiaries with prescription drug assistance. Low-income Medicare beneficiaries in the U.S. territories who move to the mainland and register their new permanent address with the Social Security Administration, automatically become eligible to apply for “Extra Help” subsidies. This unequal treatment of American seniors results in far less assistance for low-income seniors living in any of the U.S. territories than seniors on the mainland who are eligible for Part D subsidies.
The Territories Medicare Prescription Drug Assistance Equity Act is supported by National Alliance for Hispanic Health (NAHH), Latinos for Healthcare Equity (LHE), Medicaid and Medicare Advantage Products Association of Puerto Rico (MMAPA), and the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us the huge gaps that exist in access to health services and that the health of all of us is inexorably linked to each other. The Territories Medicare Prescription Drug Assistance Equity Act is an important step towards ensuring the health and well-being of all Americans”, said Jane L. Delgado, PhD, MS; President and CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health.
“As our nation advocates for democracy and equality around the world, it is time that the federal government stops treating low-income Medicare beneficiaries in Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories as second-hand citizens,” said Jaime R. Torres, DPM, MS; President of Latinos for Healthcare Equity. “These Americans, because of antiquated, unequal regulations, are unable to access the same subsidies as Medicare beneficiaries in the states, perpetuating economic hardship and poor health conditions to so many seniors. It is time that Congress resolves this inequity forever by passing the Territories Medicare Prescription Drug Assistance Equity Act of 2022. It is what these seniors deserve. It is the right thing to do.”
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