CMS Waives Medicare Part D Late Fee for Low-Income Enrollees

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the elimination of the 2007 late enrollment penalty for any beneficiary eligible for the low income subsidy for a Part D plan even if he/she failed to sign up by the program’s initial deadline. Generally, Medicare beneficiaries who are qualified to join a prescription drug plan, or Part D, but choose not to enroll during their initial enrollment period, may be subject to a late enrollment penalty (LEP). By taking this action, CMS is continuing the same protection against the LEP for low-income Medicare beneficiaries as it did during the 2005 launch of the new program.

For more information, call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213, or visit www.socialsecurity.gov on the web.
TTY users should call 1-800-325-0778