Committee advances Fay bill to support aging Mainers

AUGUSTA – The Maine Legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Health and Human Services voted unanimously last week to advance a bill, LD 1522, sponsored by Rep. Jessica Fay, D-Raymond, that would increase eligibility for Medicare Savings Programs for low- and fixed-income older Mainers.

State Rep. Jessica Fay of
Raymond. FILE PHOTO

The Medicare Savings Program assists older people with lower incomes by paying for some or all of their Medicare premiums, deductibles, copayments and coinsurance. It can also pay for the Part B premium, usually deducted from Social Security, putting money back into the pockets of Maine’s aging population.

“I have spoken with many older Mainers about their fears of the rising cost of heating, electricity and groceries and their worries about the affordability of home care,” said Fay. “By increasing eligibility for Medicare Savings Programs, we can help alleviate at least some of the anxiety that older people living with low and fixed incomes feel when it comes to aging with dignity in their communities.”

The amended legislation removes the current asset testing in determining eligibility for Medicare Savings Programs. It also implements income eligibility requirements that use data identified for singles and couples in the Elder Economic Security Standard Index, developed by the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

“Increasing eligibility for Medicare Savings Programs creates economic justice for older Mainers who experienced economic injustices throughout their lives,” said Jess Maurer, executive director of the Maine Council on Aging. “We are thrilled that the Health and Human Services Committee unanimously agreed to increase eligibility for this program that puts real money into the pockets of older Mainers who are struggling to meet their basic needs, and we thank Representative Jessica Fay for her visionary leadership on this critical issue.”

The bill faces further votes in the House and Senate in the coming days.

Fay, House chair of the Government Oversight Committee and a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs, is serving her fourth term in the Maine House of Representatives. She serves the community members of Casco, Frye Island, Raymond, and part of Poland. <