American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)
Qualified Individuals Program (QI)
B, Title V, Sec. 5005
Medicare Savings Programs cover individuals who are income eligible under 100% of the Federal Poverty Level. Qualified Medicare Beneficiaries' (QI) benefits include payment of Medicare premiums, deductibles and cost sharing. Certain low-income individuals whoa re aged or have disabilities as defined under the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program and who are eligible for Medicare are also eligible to have their Medicare Part B premiums paid for by Medicaid under the Medicare Savings Program.
The QI program is paid 100% by the federal government from the Part B Trust fund. The total amount of federal QI spending is limited each year and allocated among the states. States are required to cover only the number of people that would bring their annual spending on these population groups to their allocation levels.
From January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2010, the total allocation amount would be $150 million.
These expenditures for Medicare premiums are paid at 100% federal funding so there should be no impact to Wyoming Budget.
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