Sponsored by:
Assemblyman HERB CONAWAY, JR.
District 7 (Burlington and Camden)
SYNOPSIS
Excludes certain Medicare premiums in determining eligibility for PAAD and Senior Gold programs.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning eligibility for the Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled program and the Senior Gold Prescription Discount Program and supplementing chapter 4D of Title 30 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Premium charges paid by recipients of benefits under the federal Medicare program established pursuant to Pub.L.89-97 (42 U.S.C. s.1395 et seq.) for Medicare Part B coverage shall not be counted as income for the purpose of determining eligibility for the Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled program established pursuant to P.L.1975, c.194 (C.30:4D-20 et seq.).
2. Premium charges paid by recipients of benefits under the federal Medicare program established pursuant to Pub.L.89-97 (42 U.S.C. s.1395 et seq.) for Medicare Part B and Part D coverage shall not be counted as income for the purpose of determining eligibility for the Senior Gold Prescription Discount Program established pursuant to P.L.2001, c.96 (C.30:4D-43 et seq.).
3. This act shall take effect on the 90th day following enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill provides that the Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled (PAAD) program shall not include Medicare Part B premiums (for medical insurance coverage) in determining income eligibility for PAAD.
For the Senior Gold Prescription Discount Program (Senior Gold), the bill provides that Senior Gold shall not include Medicare Part B and Part D premiums (for prescription drug coverage) in determining income eligibility for Senior Gold.
Payments for Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage are not excluded under the PAAD program under this bill since the Department of Health and Senior Services will pay Part D premiums for PAAD beneficiaries, who are required to participate in the Medicare Part D benefit of the "Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003," which began in January 2006.