57,500 New Yorkers received a letter in September letting them know that their Extra Help benefits end on 12/31/24 unless they successfully reapply. The Low-Income Subsidy, known as LIS or “Extra Help,” is a program administered by the Social Security Administration (SSA) that provides financial assistance with Medicare Part D prescription drug costs, including premiums and co-pays. Each year in September, some individuals with LIS receive notices from Medicare informing them that their LIS is ending at the end of the year and that they will need to re enroll with SSA to continue to receive financial assistance with their Medicare drug costs.
If you got that letter, now is the time to act. Or, if you are receiving Extra Help with drug costs and are not sure if you received the notice it’s time to check your status. It’s also a great time to see if you qualify for the Medicare Savings Program to lower your Medicare medical costs – and a great bonus, you will automatically be enrolled by NYS in federal Extra Help with higher income criteria than applying through SSA and no resource/asset limitations.
Call StateWide’s counselors at 800-333-4374 to make sure your benefits will continue next year.