2008 eligibility charts for "extra help" with Medicare drug costs

The 2008 eligibility criteria and subsidy/benefit levels for the Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) for Medicare Part D have been released, reflecting the new Federal Poverty Level (FPL) guidelines. The changes to the LIS apply both to your clients who already receive "extra help" with prescription drugs and those who may now be eligible.

The LIS provides Medicare recipients with reduced or no premiums and co-pays for prescription drugs. It also provides coverage during the "donut hole," a coverage gap during which people are required to pay the costs of their medications.

• Click here for a chart from My Medicare Community that summarizes LIS eligibility and coverage (PDF).
• Click here for another view of LIS subsidy levels (PDF) from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, adapted by Community Partners.
• Click here for a chart of the 2008 Federal Poverty Level (FPL) guidelines (PDF), including a summary of LIS resource limits.

Further information on the LIS for 2008 is also available from the Social Security Administration and My Medicare Community.