This webinar took place on Tuesday, July 23, 2019 11 am-12 pm PT/2-3 pm ET.
The Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program provides significant Medicare cost savings to low income individuals, including payment of Medicare premiums and protection from liability for any Medicare co-insurance or deductibles for health services. Those enrolled in the program also are automatically enrolled in the Part D Low Income Subsidy program (LIS). Despite its value, the QMB program is chronically under-enrolled. Many eligible individuals don’t know about the program or face barriers when they try to enroll. Those who are enrolled often face difficulties in accessing QMB protections.
This two-part webinar series gives advocates updated information on the QMB benefit and tools to use to ensure that their clients are enrolled and can use the benefit effectively.
Part One provides an overview of the QMB program, including eligibility criteria and program basics and focus on the specifics of QMB billing protections. We focus on recent improvements that make it easier for QMBs and their advocates to understand their payment responsibilities and the tools available to address problems with providers who improperly bill QMBs. We also distinguish between the QMB program and a Medicaid agency’s Part B buy-in agreement, and discuss QMB issues in Medicare Advantage.
Part Two will focus on enrollment. It will look at barriers to QMB enrollment, including problems that have arisen in various states and advocacy approaches, especially for individuals with Medicaid linked to Supplemental Security Income. We will explore both ways to untangle individual problems and ways to work with your state to improve QMB enrollment systemically.
Who should participate:
Aging and legal advocates, community-based providers and others who counsel older adults on health benefits.
Presenters:
Denny Chan, Senior Staff Attorney, Justice in Aging
Georgia Burke, Directing Attorney, Justice in Aging
