It depends on your financial status. If you have been approved for financial "Extra Help" with your Medicare Part D expenses (and have had no changes in your finances), you will not need to re-apply for Extra Help every year - however you may need to submit financial statements each year to verify your financial status meets Extra Help requirements. If your personal finances have change and you are now earning more money (or have additional assets), you may be notified that you will need to reapply for Extra Help for the next year.
Important: However, depending on your financial status, you may need to submit information each year about your financial situation in order to continue receiving your Medicare Part D financial Extra Help benefits through the following year.
Starting in early-September of each year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS), the Social Security Administration (SSA) will be sending letters to some Medicare beneficiaries regarding the status of their Medicare Part D Extra Help benefits.
Tip: We will have the annual CMS and SSA mailings schedule online - including the different information and form-letters sent to Medicare Part D Extra Help recipients (people qualifying for the Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) program),
Important: If you are a Medicare beneficiary who receives one of these letters from the government - and does not respond to this September mailing - you risk losing your Extra Help benefits for next year.
If you currently qualify for the Medicare Part D financial Extra Help program, there are two possible letters you could receive in September that could affect whether you receive Medicare Part D Extra Help next year:
(1) Letter from the Social Security Administration (SSA): You need to show that you still qualify for Extra Help!
Each year the Social Security Administration (SSA) reviews the eligibility of selected low-income Medicare beneficiaries who are receiving financial Extra Help and in early-September, will send letters to select Medicare beneficiaries who qualified for the Extra Help program this year and ask that the recipient completes and returns a new income and resources form to ensure that the beneficiary is still eligible for the Extra Help program.
When looking through your mail, look on the information you received for the title: "Social Security Notice to Review Eligibility for Extra Help" along with income and asset forms - you will need to complete and return these forms to the SSA to keep your Extra Help.
Unfortunately, if a person does not complete and return the income and resources form to the Social Security Administration within 30 days, or ask for an extension, the beneficiary could lose their Extra Help benefits for next year. If you have questions, please call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY users can call 1-800-325-0778).
Important: However, depending on your financial status, you may need to submit information each year about your financial situation in order to continue receiving your Medicare Part D financial Extra Help benefits through the following year.
Starting in early-September of each year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS), the Social Security Administration (SSA) will be sending letters to some Medicare beneficiaries regarding the status of their Medicare Part D Extra Help benefits.
Tip: We will have the annual CMS and SSA mailings schedule online - including the different information and form-letters sent to Medicare Part D Extra Help recipients (people qualifying for the Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) program),
Important: If you are a Medicare beneficiary who receives one of these letters from the government - and does not respond to this September mailing - you risk losing your Extra Help benefits for next year.
If you currently qualify for the Medicare Part D financial Extra Help program, there are two possible letters you could receive in September that could affect whether you receive Medicare Part D Extra Help next year:
(1) Letter from the Social Security Administration (SSA): You need to show that you still qualify for Extra Help!
Each year the Social Security Administration (SSA) reviews the eligibility of selected low-income Medicare beneficiaries who are receiving financial Extra Help and in early-September, will send letters to select Medicare beneficiaries who qualified for the Extra Help program this year and ask that the recipient completes and returns a new income and resources form to ensure that the beneficiary is still eligible for the Extra Help program.
When looking through your mail, look on the information you received for the title: "Social Security Notice to Review Eligibility for Extra Help" along with income and asset forms - you will need to complete and return these forms to the SSA to keep your Extra Help.
Unfortunately, if a person does not complete and return the income and resources form to the Social Security Administration within 30 days, or ask for an extension, the beneficiary could lose their Extra Help benefits for next year. If you have questions, please call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY users can call 1-800-325-0778).
(2) Grey Letter from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS): You no longer automatically qualifying for Extra Help!
Some people receive Medicare Part D Extra Help automatically because they qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid - or belong to a Medicare Savings Program (MSP) - or receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
However, if a person no longer automatically qualifies for Extra Help (because of a change in their financial or SSI status), CMS will send a gray-colored “Loss of Deemed Status” letter before the end of September notifying the Medicare beneficiary that they may need to reapply for their Extra Help benefits for next year.
Again, look for a gray-colored government notice in your mail where the document states across the top: Loss of Deemed Status Notice (Product No. 11198) and you will see the text: "Your automatic Extra Help for Part D will end in 202X" and then the following text will be included in the letter:
IMPORTANT: Apply now to see if you can still get Extra HelpTo help people keep their Extra Help benefits, CMS will also include an application for Extra Help along with their grey-colored letter and encourage Medicare beneficiaries to complete the application for the annual Extra Help program based on their income and resource limits (that change every year).
You may still be able to get Extra Help in 202X, but you need to apply. How to apply:
Apply as soon as possible to make sure you get Extra Help in 202x, if you qualify.
- Complete the enclosed application and mail it back in the postage-paid envelope.
- Or, apply online at SSA.gov.
- Or, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 to apply by phone. TTY users can call
1-800-325-0778.
Bottom Line: If government determines that you do no longer qualify for Extra Help, a financial need review form will be sent to you automatically. Unfortunately, if Medicare beneficiaries receiving this gray-colored notice do not proactively complete the application every year and reapply for Extra Help - they may lose their Extra Help benefits. You can apply or get more information about extra help by calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or visiting www.socialsecurity.gov.
Sources include:
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services)
See also:
» When are the CMS Notices and Mailings sent?
» What is the Extra Help Program?
» More Extra Help and LIS FAQs
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