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You May Qualify for Big Savings
on Your Prescription Drugs
Extra Help (also known as the
Low-Income Subsidy) is available for those who meet
certain income and resource limits. If you are eligible,
Extra Help can mean significant cost savings on your
prescription drugs.
Nearly 2 million people who qualify
for Extra Help with Medicare prescription drug costs
have yet to sign up. If you qualify for Extra Help you
can enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan at any
time and pay no late enrollment penalty.
For a flyer with this information,
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Your
Eligibility for Extra Help in 2012 If You Have Extra
Help in 2011
| If you
qualified for Extra Help in 2011 but no longer
qualify for Extra Help in 2012, you will be able
to change prescription drug plans once between
January 1 and March 31, 2012, during a Special
Enrollment Period. |
Your eligibility if you
previously applied and qualified for Extra Help
If you are currently receiving Extra Help with your
Medicare prescription drug costs Social Security may
contact you to review your eligibility for Extra Help
next year. If you were selected for a review, Social
Security, beginning in late August, sent you a form
to complete. It is called “Social Security Administration
Review of Your Eligibility for Extra Help” (Form
SSA-1026). You must complete and return this form in
30 days even if there are no changes to your income
and resources.
Any changes to the Extra Help you get will be effective
in January 2011 unless you report a change in your marital
status or marital living arrangements. Those changes
are effective the month after they are reported. If
you were not selected for a review, you will not receive
a letter from Social Security and the amount of Extra
Help you get won’t change.
For more information about Extra Help with your Medicare
prescription drug plan costs call Social Security at
1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or visit www.socialsecurity.gov.
Your Eligibility for Extra Help If You Automatically
Qualified in 2011
You will automatically qualify for Extra Help in 2012
if you:
- Receive both Medicare and Medicaid;
- Have your Medicare Part B premiums paid by your
state because you belong to a Medicare Savings Program;
or
- Receive both Medicare and Supplemental Security
Income (SSI).
If you no longer automatically
qualify for Extra Help, you will receive a letter from
Medicare by the end of September 2011. However, it is
important to remember that you may still qualify for
Extra Help. The letter from Medicare has an enclosed
Social Security application for Extra Help.
If you have limited income and
resources, you should complete the application and return
it to Social Security in the postage-paid envelope provided.
You also can apply online at www.socialsecurity.gov
or www.BenefitsCheckUp.org. If you do not apply right
away, the Extra Help you receive now could end on January
1, 2012. Act Quickly!
For help completing the application
for Extra Help, contact Social Security at 1-800-772-
1213 (TTY1-800-325-0778) or www.AccesstoBenefits.org
to see if there is an Access to Benefits Coalition in
your community.
If you believe the letter you
received from Medicare is a mistake,
you should call 1-800-MEDICARE(1-800-633-4227; TTY1-877-486-2048).
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