SB 545 — relative to financial eligibility for the Medicare savings program.

SB 545-FN - AS INTRODUCEDAMENDED BY THE SENATE 03/26/2026 1210s SESSION 26-2127 05/08 SENATE BILL 545-FN AN ACT relative to financial eligibility for the Medicare savings program.

SB 545-FN - AS INTRODUCEDAMENDED BY THE SENATE 03/26/2026 1210s 26-2127 05/08 STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six AN ACT relative to financial eligibility for the Medicare savings program.

Financial Eligibility for Medicare Savings ProgramAmendProgram. RSA 167 by inserting after section 4-f the following new section:

Amend RSA 167 by inserting after section 4-f the following new section:

Financial eligibility for the Medicare savings program shall:shall, subject to CMS approval, make the low income subsidy for Medicare Part D available to residents to assist with prescription drug costs.

(a) Include a resource disregard, thereby eliminating the resource test;

and (b) Subject to CMS approval, make the low income subsidy for Medicare Part D available to residents to assist with prescription drug costs.

LBA 26-2127 Revised04/07/2026 1/12/26 SB 545-FN- FISCAL NOTE AS INTRODUCEDAMENDED BY THE SENATE (AMENDMENT #2026-1210s) AN ACT relative to financial eligibility for the Medicare savings program.

This bill doesrequires notthe provideDepartment funding,of norHealth doesand itHuman authorizeServices newto positions.make the low-income subsidy for Medicare Part D available to residents who meet the financial eligibility criteria for participation in the Medicare savings program.

EstimatedThe StateDepatment Impactnotes FYthat 2026the FYsubsidy 2027is FYalready 2028available FYto 2029such Revenueresidents, $0although $0there $0is $0currently Revenueno Fund(s)requirement Nonein $2.3either millionstate $2.3or millionfederal $2.3law millionthat Expenditures*this $0be generalthe funds;case.

generalThe funds;subsidy is administered by the federal government and is fully federally funded, provided that expenditures do not exceed the state's allocation of federal funds available for this purpose.

generalThe funds;Department notes that from calendar years 2021 through 2025, subsidy expenditures have ranged from 55 percent to 67 percent of the state's allotment.

$3.6For millionthis $3.6reason, millionthe $3.6Department millionassumes federalthat fundsthe federalbill fundswill federalhave fundsno Fundingfiscal Source(s)impact. General funds;

federal funds Appropriations* $0 $0 $0 $0 Funding Source(s) None *Expenditure = Cost of bill *Appropriation = Authorized funding to cover cost of bill METHODOLOGY:

This bill removes asset limits for the Medicare Savings Program and, subject to approval by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), makes the low income subsidy for Medicare Part D available to residents to assist with prescription drug costs.

Per the Department of Health and Human Services, there are multiple groups within the Medicare Savings Program, each with their own eligibility requirements.

In the aggregate, removing the asset limits would result in an estimated 2,033 new individuals qualifying for the program, based on Department data detailing the number of people previously denied for being over the resource limit.

Of these, 884 are qualified Medicaid beneficiaries, for whom the Department will be responsible for paying an estimated $3,519 per year, and 1,149 are specified low-income beneficiaries, for whom the Department will be responsible for paying $2,436 per year.

Total costs are therefore expected to be $5,909,760 per year.

Since the general fund / federal fund split does not apply to all categories, the Department anticipates that $3,582,150 will be federal funds, with the remaining $2,327,610 a general fund expense.

As the low-income subsidy for Medicare Part D is administered by the federal government, that aspect of the bill is not expected to have a state impact.