When Governor Baker signs the state budget thousands of Massachusetts Medicare Beneficiaries will become eligible for increased benefits from Medicare Savings Programs (MSP). Created in 1966, MSP uses both state and federal funds to help beneficiaries pay for their Medicare Part B premium, as well as other out of pocket expenses such as  assistance with Medicare Part D Plan costs. But you must first satisfy certain income and asset limits in order to be eligible. Currently the income limit is 135% of the federal poverty, this income limit will change to 160% of the federal poverty level once the new budget becomes effective. 

This change will make thousands of low income Massachusetts residents eligible for the MassHealth Buy-in Program that will pay your Medicare Part B Premium ($135.50) every month. You could also be eligible for partial extra help from Social Security that would assist you with your Medicare Part D costs. 

MassHealth is working to implement this change to the MSP Programs. Our understanding is they hope to streamline applications to make applying for all MSP programs easier. They would like to complete this work and implement the new income levels in January of 2020. We will provide more information when it is available.