US CMS ends waiver for Wisconsin Rx drug plan

The US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has turned down a request by the state of Wisconsin to extend its SeniorCare prescription drug program for low-income senior citizens. The CMS argues that the local program largely duplicates the federal Medicare Part D prescription drug plan and that it fails to provide a full means test for applicants. SeniorCare is expected to be terminated at the end of this year.

The Wisconsin program was open to residents aged 65 or over with less than 240% of the federal poverty level in annual income. The scheme does not, however, measure the assets of beneficiaries. Leslie Norwalk, the CMS' Acting-Administrator, also said that she is not convinced that SeniorCare is financially justified. She told the Washington Post: "all they have done, basically, is shift costs to the Medicaid program that should not be borne there."