A new House bill introduced Thursday would provide dual
eligibles living in assisted living facilities with the same co-pay coverage
under Medicare Part D as nursing home residents.
Long-term care providers, including the Assisted Living Federation of America and the National Center for Assisted Living, praised Rep. Lloyd Doggett
(D-TX) and 13 other congressmen for introducing the bill. Dual eligibles in
assisted living facilities take, on average, eight to ten prescription
medication with co-pays that range from $1 to $5, according to the
American Health Care Association. In
some cases, the added costs of their medications exceed their allotted Medicaid
allowance. Dual eligibles receive both Medicare and Medicaid coverage
The Medicare Part D Home and Community Services
Co-Payment Equity Act of 2008 (H.R. 5604) was originally proposed as a House
companion bill to a Senate health bill.