WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME) and Susan Collins (R-ME), and U.S. Representatives Tom Allen (D-ME) and Mike Michaud (D-ME), are pleased to announce that the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Michael Leavitt has accepted Maine’s petition to participate in the Medicare 402 Demonstration Waiver, as well as the State’s request to extend repayment provisions to March 8, 2006. This will allow the state to continue to act to ensure that low income individuals receiving prescription drugs through Medicare Part D will receive their full prescription benefits and will assure that Maine will be compensated for its costs.
When the new drug benefit went into effect on January 1st, many low-income seniors were unable to get their prescription drugs or were charged huge co-payments due to errors made by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
“We are pleased that CMS recognizes that Maine must be able to continue providing this vital safety net,” said Maine’s congressional delegation in a joint statement. “Substantial progress continues to be made in the implementation of the new Medicare benefit, but thousands of Mainers with limited resources are still encountering difficulty in obtaining the assistance they should receive. CMS assures us that it will continue to work expeditiously with states such as Maine to ensure that America’s most vulnerable populations continue to receive the care that they need.”