(a) To the extent required by federal law for qualified Medicare beneficiaries, the department shall pay the premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance for elderly and disabled persons entitled to benefits under Title XVIII of the federal Social Security Act, whose income does not exceed the federal poverty level and whose resources do not exceed 200 percent of the Supplemental Security Income program standard.
(b) The department shall, in addition to subdivision (a), pay applicable additional premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance for drug coverage extended to qualified Medicare beneficiaries.
(c) The deductible payments required by subdivision (b) may be covered by providing the same drug coverage as offered to categorically needy recipients, as defined in Section 14050.1.
(d) As specified in this section, it is the intent of the Legislature to assist in the payment of Medicare Part B premiums for qualified low-income Medi-Cal beneficiaries who are ineligible for federal sharing or federal contribution for the payment of those premiums.
(e) For a Medi-Cal beneficiary who has a share of cost but who is ineligible for the assistance provided pursuant to subdivision (a), or who is ineligible for any other federally funded assistance for the payment of the beneficiary’s Medicare Part B premium, the department shall pay for the beneficiary’s Medicare Part B premium in the month following each month that the beneficiary’s share of cost has been met.
(f) When a county is informed that an applicant or beneficiary is eligible for Medicare benefits, the county shall determine whether that individual is eligible under the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program, the Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) program, or the Qualifying Individual program and enroll the applicant or beneficiary in the appropriate program.
(Amended by Stats. 2010, Ch. 717, Sec. 141. (SB 853) Effective October 19, 2010.)