Long-Term Care

Association urges Congress to waive Part D copayment

Contemporary Long-Term Care Weekly, February 7, 2007

The National Coalition for Assisted Living (NCAL) asked Congress in late January to waive the Medicare Part D copayment for dually eligible seniors in a statement submitted to a Senate Special Aging Committee hearing. NCAL said in a press release that all dually eligible seniors living in home or community-based settings, which include assisted living and residential care facilities, should be treated the same as residents living in nursing homes.

Currently, dually eligible beneficiaries not living in nursing homes typically cannot afford the Part D prescription copayment, NCAL said. The association urged Congress to reintroduce "The Home and Community Services Co-payment Equity Act" (bill S. 2409 and bill H.R. 5907). In doing so, more than one million low-income Americans would benefit from the bill, which would eliminate the Part D copayment, stated the press release.

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