Senate Bill S8514

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S8514

SPONSOR: CLEARE
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the correction law, in relation to providing information
regarding medicare part B coverage to certain individuals

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To inform individuals of their continued medicare coverage upon incar-
ceration and provide them with information concerning termination of
their coverage for their duration of stay within the correctional facil-
ity.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

  Section  one  of  the bill adds a new subdivision 7-a to Section 71 of
the correction law requiring the department, upon receiving  information
of  a  person's admission to a correctional facility, to provide persons
committed with information regarding  termination  of  medicare  part  B
coverage for the duration of incarceration. ò
              

  Section 2 of the bill in the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Currently,  when  a  Medicare  part  B  recipient is incarcerated, their
coverage does not automatically discontinue.  This  can  result  in  the
individual having to pay the monthly premium even though they are unable
to  utilize  Medicare  while  in prison or jail. As of 2022, the monthly
premium is $170.10. This can result in individuals having  to  pay  back
substantial  overdue  premiums to Medicare.   This bill does not require
the individual to forego  Medicare  benefits,  it  simply  requires  the
department  to provide information on how they can voluntarily terminate
their coverage while incarcerated.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None to state.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.