No Medicare Part D Late Fee for Low-Income Enrollees

CMS Acting Administrator Leslie V. Norwalk announced the elimination of the 2007 late enrollment penalty for any beneficiary eligible for the low income subsidy for a Part D plan even if they failed to sign up by the program's initial deadline.

Generally, Medicare beneficiaries who are qualified to join a prescription drug plan, or Part D, but choose not to enroll during their initial enrollment period, may be subject to a late enrollment penalty (LEP). These fees were intended to encourage Medicare beneficiaries to sign up for the drug coverage plan when they first become eligible, but may cause some low-income beneficiaries to avoid seeking coverage.

Under this initiative, certain low-income Medicare beneficiaries can enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan with no penalty through December 31, 2007.

For more information, call the Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services Aging Information Center, 617-628-2601 ext. 3151