CHA Blog

We just received some good news for Californian beneficiaries who have Medi-Cal  with a SOC over $500. As mentioned in our 10/28 post, as of 11/1/08 the state will no longer pay the Medicare Part B premium for beneficiaries with a SOC over $500. Yet, the Department of Health Care Services was not able to get the required file to Social Security in time for deductions to be made for the November Social Security checks.  Therefore, the Part B premium deductions for California’s 57,000 affected beneficiaries will begin December 2008 instead.

See our website for more information on Medi-Cal and other programs for people with low incomes. 

We just posted 2 new Medicare fact sheets:

1) is for people with Medicare and TriCare for Life (TCL); and

2) is for people with Medicare and Veterans benefits.

See a list of all our fact sheets online.

These are currently being updated with 2009 information.

As of November 1, 2008, California’s 57,000 Medicare beneficiaries who also have Medi-Cal with a share-of-cost (SOC) over $500 will no longer have their Medicare Part B premium paid for by the state. This means people with a share of cost incomes that exceed 129% of the Federal Poverty Level ($13,416/year for an individual and $18,060 for a couple) will have to pay the $96.40 Part B premium themselves each month in order to keep their Medicare Part B.

Previously, all Medicare beneficiaries with Medi-Cal, whether they had full Medi-Cal or Medi-Cal with a share of cost, did not had to pay their Medicare Part B premiums. Now, (as of 11/1/08) these beneficiaries will have their $96.40 monthly Medicare Part B premium deducted from their Social Security checks.  Paying an extra almost $100 each month for one’s Part B premium may well be a large financial burden to the tens of thousands of people affected by this change.

This change is part of the Governor’s proposed budget reductions and is expected to save $50.1 million in 2008-09 fiscal year. See a summary of all budget changes at ebudget.ca.gov/BudgetSummary/HHS/32266019.html.

The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is sending out a letter to all affected beneficiaries on October 22, 2008. DHCS will also send out a more detailed notice within a month.

See our website for more information on Medi-Cal.