Health

Counterpunch -  A lesser-known impact of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” is the loss of vital prescription drug assistance for millions of low-income Medicare beneficiaries.

The Low-Income Subsidy (LIS) program – also known as Medicare Part D “Extra Help” – lowers monthly premiums, deductibles, and copays for low-income people on Medicare. The program, administered by the Social Security Administration, reduces the unaffordable out-of-pocket costs that so many seniors face when they go to get the medications they need. There are 14 million Medicare beneficiaries who receive LIS Extra Help, the majority of whom are dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare.

A jarring new study in the New England Journal of Medicine estimates that the Medicaid coverage losses written into the current reconciliation bill could result in 18,200 additional deaths among Medicare enrollees every year. That is because when these thousands of mainly older Americans are forced to disenroll from Medicaid, they will automatically lose access to the Extra Help program. Technically they can reapply through other eligibility criteria, but it is harder and many likely won’t do it or won’t meet eligibility requirements.