Maryland State Wire

The governor recently announced that assistance will be provided to Maryland retirees transitioning to Medicare Part D beginning next year.

Gov. Larry Hogan made the announcement with Senate President Thomas V. "Mike" Miller and House Speaker Michael E. Busch.

Retired state employees who are eligible for Medicare will move from the state's prescription program to the Medicare Part D beginning on Jan. 1 as part of pension reform legislation that passed in 2011.

Senate President Thomas V. "Mike" Miller

Hogan and the legislative officers wanted to help with the impact of the transition and are providing a one-year transition program that will reimburse all-out-of-pocket prescription expenses over the $1,500 limit of the current state plan.

Hogan and the legislative officers have been working to evaluate the best options to assist state retirees, and the transition program will be open on Jan. 1.

The Department of Budget and Management will also provide assistance for the retirees through the existing Senior Prescription Drug Assistance Program (SPDAP) in the Maryland Department of Health.

Hogan said the administration has consistently worked to make the state a better place to retire, including offering tax relief for retirees.

"This is another example of the bipartisan solutions we have been able to achieve here in Maryland by working together," Hogan said in a news release. "I am glad that our administration was able to work with legislative leadership to provide this relief for state retirees who will be affected by this change."

Miller said they have the deepest respect for those who have dedicated their careers to public services and their obligation is to make the transition as easy as possible.

"The solution we’re announcing today will honor our commitment to our retirees," Miller said in the news release.

Busch said Congress' actions forced the transition to Medicare Part D to occur more quickly than planned.

"The Governor, President and Maryland House of Delegates have been working diligently to help ease this transition for our retirees and I am pleased that we have come up with a short-term solution that gives us more time to help those retirees with overwhelming prescription drug costs," Busch said in the news release.

SPDAP assists low- and middle-income state residents with their Medicare Part D premium and coverage gap costs. It applies to individuals whose income is 300 percent of the federal poverty level or lower. The program currently provides up to $40 per month for eligible participants when covering their premiums for Medicare Part D. It also provides up to $1,000 toward the coverage gap subsidy.