Determination of eligibility

For purposes of this part, subject to subparagraph (F), the term “subsidy eligible individual” means a part D eligible individual who—

(i) is enrolled in a prescription drug plan or MA–PD plan;

(ii) has income below 150 percent of the poverty line applicable to a family of the size involved; and

(iii) meets the resources requirement described in subparagraph (D) or (E).

(i) In general The determination of whether a part D eligible individual residing in a State is a subsidy eligible individual and whether the individual is described in paragraph (1) shall be determined under the State plan under subchapter XIX for the State under section 1396u–5(a) of this title or by the Commissioner of Social Security. There are authorized to be appropriated to the Social Security Administration such sums as may be necessary for the determination of eligibility under this subparagraph.

(ii) Effective period Determinations under this subparagraph shall be effective beginning with the month in which the individual applies for a determination that the individual is a subsidy eligible individual and shall remain in effect for a period specified by the Secretary, but not to exceed 1 year.

(iii) Redeterminations and appeals through medicaid Redeterminations and appeals, with respect to eligibility determinations under clause (i) made under a State plan under subchapter XIX, shall be made in accordance with the frequency of, and manner in which, redeterminations and appeals of eligibility are made under such plan for purposes of medical assistance under such subchapter.

(iv) Redeterminations and appeals through Commissioner With respect to eligibility determinations under clause (i) made by the Commissioner of Social Security— (I) redeterminations shall be made at such time or times as may be provided by the Commissioner; (II) the Commissioner shall establish procedures for appeals of such determinations that are similar to the procedures described in the third sentence of section 1383(c)(1)(A) of this title ; and (III) judicial review of the final decision of the Commissioner made after a hearing shall be available to the same extent, and with the same limitations, as provided in subsections (g) and (h) of section 405 of this title .

(v) Treatment of medicaid beneficiaries Subject to subparagraph (F), the Secretary— (I) shall provide that part D eligible individuals who are full-benefit dual eligible individuals (as defined in section 1396u–5(c)(6) of this title ) or who are recipients of supplemental security income benefits under subchapter XVI shall be treated as subsidy eligible individuals described in paragraph (1); and (II) may provide that part D eligible individuals not described in subclause (I) who are determined for purposes of the State plan under subchapter XIX to be eligible for medical assistance under clause (i), (iii), or (iv) of section 1396a(a)(10)(E) of this title are treated as being determined to be subsidy eligible individuals described in paragraph (1).

Insofar as the Secretary determines that the eligibility requirements under the State plan for medical assistance referred to in subclause (II) are substantially the same as the requirements for being treated as a subsidy eligible individual described in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall provide for the treatment described in such subclause.

(vi) Special rule for widows and widowers Notwithstanding the preceding provisions of this subparagraph, in the case of an individual whose spouse dies during the effective period for a determination or redetermination that has been made under this subparagraph, such effective period shall be extended through the date that is 1 year after the date on which the determination or redetermination would (but for the application of this clause) otherwise cease to be effective.

For purposes of applying this section—

(i) in the case of a part D eligible individual who is not treated as a subsidy eligible individual under subparagraph (B)(v), income shall be determined in the manner described in section 1396d(p)(1)(B) of this title , without regard to the application of section 1396a(r)(2) of this title and except that support and maintenance furnished in kind shall not be counted as income; and

(ii) the term “poverty line” has the meaning given such term in section 9902(2) of this title , including any revision required by such section.

Nothing in clause (i) shall be construed to affect the application of section 1396a(r)(2) of this title for the determination of eligibility for medical assistance under subchapter XIX.

The resources requirement of this subparagraph is that an individual’s resources (as determined under section 1382b of this title for purposes of the supplemental security income program subject to the life insurance policy exclusion provided under subparagraph (G)) do not exceed—

(i) for 2006 three times the maximum amount of resources that an individual may have and obtain benefits under that program; and

(ii) for a subsequent year the resource limitation established under this clause for the previous year increased by the annual percentage increase in the consumer price index (all items; U.S. city average) as of September of such previous year.

Any resource limitation established under clause (ii) that is not a multiple of $10 shall be rounded to the nearest multiple of $10.

(i) In general The resources requirement of this subparagraph is that an individual’s resources (as determined under section 1382b of this title for purposes of the supplemental security income program subject to the life insurance policy exclusion provided under subparagraph (G)) do not exceed— (I) for 2006, $10,000 (or $20,000 in the case of the combined value of the individual’s assets or resources and the assets or resources of the individual’s spouse); and (II) for a subsequent year the dollar amounts specified in this subclause (or subclause (I)) for the previous year increased by the annual percentage increase in the consumer price index (all items; U.S. city average) as of September of such previous year.

Any dollar amount established under subclause (II) that is not a multiple of $10 shall be rounded to the nearest multiple of $10.

(ii) Use of simplified application form and process The Secretary, jointly with the Commissioner of Social Security, shall— (I) develop a model, simplified application form and process consistent with clause (iii) for the determination and verification of a part D eligible individual’s assets or resources under this subparagraph; and (II) provide such form to States.

(iii) Documentation and safeguards Under such process— (I) the application form shall consist of an attestation under penalty of perjury regarding the level of assets or resources (or combined assets and resources in the case of a married part D eligible individual) and valuations of general classes of assets or resources; (II) such form shall be accompanied by copies of recent statements (if any) from financial institutions in support of the application; and (III) matters attested to in the application shall be subject to appropriate methods of verification.

(iv) Methodology flexibility The Secretary may permit a State in making eligibility determinations for premium and cost-sharing subsidies under this section to use the same asset or resource methodologies that are used with respect to eligibility for medical assistance for medicare cost-sharing described in section 1396d(p) of this title so long as the Secretary determines that the use of such methodologies will not result in any significant differences in the number of individuals determined to be subsidy eligible individuals.

In the case of a part D eligible individual who is not a resident of the 50 States or the District of Columbia, the individual is not eligible to be a subsidy eligible individual under this section but may be eligible for financial assistance with prescription drug expenses under section 1396u–5(e) of this title .