The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Executive Office of Health and Human Services
Office of Medicaid
One Ashburton Place, Room 1109
Boston, Massachusetts 02108
CHARLES D. BAKER AMANDA CASSEL KRAFT
Governor Acting Assistant Secretary
for MassHealth
KARYN E. POLITO
Lieutenant Governor
Tel: (617) 573-1600
MARYLOU SUDDERS Fax: (617) 573-1891
Secretary www.mass.gov/eohhs
October 7, 2022
Chair, Michael J. Rodrigues Chair, Aaron Michlewitz
Senate Committee on Ways and Means House Committee on Ways and Means
State House, Room 212 State House, Room 243
Boston, MA 02133 Boston, MA 02133
Dear Chairs Rodrigues and Michlewitz:
Line item 4000-0601 in the Fiscal Year 2022 budget requires the Executive Office of Health and Human
Services to report to the House and Senate Committees on Ways and Means on:
the implementation of the Medicare Saving program (MSP) expanded program eligibility for
seniors under section 25A of said chapter 118E; provided further, that said report shall include,
but not be limited to: (i) the number of members who are seniors whose household incomes, as
determined by the executive office, exceed 130 per cent of the federal poverty level that are
enrolled in Medicare Saving programs during each month of the fiscal year; (ii) total enrollment
in the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program, Specified Low-Income Medicare
Beneficiary (SLMB) Program and Qualifying Individual (QI) Program; (iii) total annual
spending on Medicare premiums and cost-sharing for such members; (iv) total annual transfers
from the prescription advantage program in line item 9110-1455 and Health Safety Net Trust
Fund to fund the Medicare Saving program expansion
This report covers the time period of July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022.
As of June 30, 2022, total enrollment (both previous and newly eligible members) in the QMB program
was 15,576, total enrollment in the SLMB program was 8,940, and total enrollment in the QI program
was 5,800.
Below is the estimated number of seniors and disabled individuals enrolled in the MSPs with income
over 130% of the federal poverty level (FPL) during each month of the fiscal year. The total MassHealth
spend for these members between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022 was $23.8 million.
 Month Estimated enrollment of members
with income over 130% FPL
July 13,499
August 13,634
September 13,750
October 13,894
November 14,044
December 14,169
January 14,214
February 14,605
March 14,644
April 14,730
May 14,746
June 14,740
When the MSP eligibility changes took effect on January 1, 2020, some individuals became newly
eligible for MassHealth coverage of Medicare Part A and B cost sharing, which also qualified them for
automatic eligibility for the federal Part D low income subsidy (LIS), which reduces out of pocket costs
for Medicare drug benefits. As a result of the coverage expansion, there has been a reduction in demand
on the Health Safety Net (HSN) because assistance with Medicare cost sharing previously covered by
the HSN is covered for the new MSP members by MassHealth and by the Part D LIS. For state fiscal
year 2021, the transfer from the Prescription Advantage program in line item 9110-1455 to the General
Fund was $0, and the transfer from the Health Safety Net Trust Fund to the General Fund was
$4,650,000.
I hope you find this report useful and informative. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact
Camille Pearson at camille.pearson@mass.gov.
Sincerely,
Amanda Cassel Kraft
cc: Marylou Sudders
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