Letter to the editor: IRA provisions help seniors with drug costs

I appreciate the background and personal stories in the article “Planned reduction of Medicare drug costs could ease burden on cash-strapped seniors” (Sept. 1, TribLIVE).

I wanted to provide additional information on other prescription drug provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that may also ease the burden for Susie Bell and other Pennsylvanians.

In addition to the out-of-pocket spending and insulin price caps for Medicaid beneficiaries, the IRA also expands eligibility of Part D Low-Income Subsidies (LIS), which help beneficiaries with premiums, deductibles and cost-sharing. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), enrollees who receive LIS benefits do not face a coverage gap, and they pay modest co-pays until they hit catastrophic coverage, at which point they face no additional cost-sharing. Currently, individuals with incomes up to 135% of the federal poverty level (FPL) qualify for full LIS benefits, and those with incomes between 135% and 150% of the FPL for partial LIS benefits.

The IRA eliminates the partial LIS benefit and expands full eligibility for individuals with incomes up to 150% of the FPL beginning in 2024. Based on 2020 estimates from KFF, expanding LIS benefits could help 23,185 Pennsylvanians from paying the full cost of drugs in the coverage gap phase like Bell is now.

Marina Thornton

Washington, D.C.

The writer, a Franklin Park native, is a Master of Public Health student at George Washington University.