Maryland to Help Retirees Pay Out-of-Pocket Medicare Drug Costs After Coverage Change

Maryland government retirees will receive financial aid from the state to help cover medications when their prescription drug coverage switches from a state plan to the federal Medicare Part D program in 2019, reports the Baltimore Sun . Gov. Larry Hogan and the state's General Assembly leadership announced a 12-month transition program in which Maryland will compensate all out-of-pocket drug costs that top $1,500. "This is another example of the bipartisan solutions we have been able to achieve here in Maryland by working together," Hogan stated. "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." Enrollment for the approximately 38,000 state retirees starts in October for the new coverage. "This is great that they are helping retirees, but the real way to help retirees is a drug commission to make high-cost prescription drugs more affordable for all Marylanders," contends Vincent DeMarco with the Maryland Citizens Health Initiative. "More and more, we here in Maryland realize something has to be done here because we don't know that it will happen on the federal level."