This morning the AHCCCS (Arizona Medicaid) web site had no updated information on the QI-1 program funding.  (See posts from the last two days.)  This afternoon I checked the News and Updates section of the AHCCCS website, and there is good news.  People who received the cancellation letter from AHCCCS, dated 12/23, can ignore it.  Here is the statement from AHCCCS:

QI-1 Program Update

On Friday, December 23, 2011, the President signed into law the “Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011″ (TCCA). Under section 310 of that legislation, the Congress continued authority and additional funding for the QI program through February 29, 2012. Arizona is currently working with federal authorities at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to ensure that the State has sufficient funding for AHCCCS members enrolled in the QI-1 program through February 29, 2012. Therefore, AHCCCS sent the following revised notice to all QI-1 members explaining that AHCCCS will continue to cover their Part B premiums through the end of February. AHCCCS will NOT move ahead with any discontinuances for now. However, Congress must still act to extend the QI-1 program for the remainder of the year. AHCCCS will continue to monitor, but federal officials believe that the Congress will act to extend authorization and full funding for the upcoming year. Continue to check the website for updates.

So it looks like 12,500 seniors and disabled Medicare beneficiaries will get a two-month reprieve.  But actually, the QI-1 program will most likely be funded through 2012.  According to an email from the Center for Medicare Advocacy, this program has survived on short-term funding for many years.

The program, a fixed-amount block grant to states to administer through their Medicaid programs, has been extended for short periods ever since its initial authorization expired in 2002. The extension legislation authorizes $150 million dollars to continue the program through February 29, 2012.

I just got a bit more info from Jack Cheevers, a public information officer for CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid). The information below is part of an announcement from CMS.

For informational purposes, in September 2011 we provided States with draft preliminary QI allotments for FY 2012; such amounts were based on a funding level of $280 million. As indicated above, we continue to expect that Congress will fund the QI program for the entire fiscal year.

This morning I called the Pima Council on Aging (PCOA) to ask if they had heard anything about continued funding for the QI-1 program that pays peoples’ Medicare premium.  PCOA is aware of the letters sent by AHCCCS to 12,500 seniors and disabled Medicare beneficiaries to tell them they are losing this help as of January 1.  But the PCOA is not aware that the funding for the program has been extended under HR3765, the bill that extends the payroll tax cuts for another two months.

I called John McCain’s Phoenix office and spoke to a staffer who was unaware of HR3765 including funding for the QI-1 program.  She asked me to send her a copy of the letter that was sent to people by AHCCCS, so I sent her that and a link to this blog – so she’ll know what’s going on.

I’m hoping Senator McCain’s office will let somebody at AHCCCS know that the funding for QI-1 has been continued.  Then AHCCCS can send out letters to those 12,500 Arizonans who may be trying to figure out how they will survive on $100 less each month.  It seems they don’t need to worry – for another couple of months.  Of course, this depends on the state of Arizona accepting the money.  Hopefully our esteemed leaders don’t have a choice but to take the money and help out 12,500 seniors and disabled Medicare beneficiaries.

Here is a link to HR 3765.  Check out section 310. extension of the qualifying individual (QI) program

STORY UPDATE:  Somebody at AHCCCS finally got the word.  See next blog post: Arizona will continue QI-1 program

A reader of this blog alerted me to HR3765, which is the bill that extended the payroll tax until February 29th, 2012. This bill also includes continuation of block grants to states to fund the QI-1 program for Medicare.  I wrote about the QI-1 program yesterday and how 12,500 seniors and disabled Medicare beneficiaries in Arizona have received letters from AHCCCS telling them they will no longer get help with their Medicare premium ($99.90 per month) starting in January.

I called the AHCCCS Client Advocate Office to ask if, due to HR 3765,  Arizona will continue to pay the Medicare premium for those 12,500 people currently in the QI-1 program.  I was told by a woman named Kathy that “we haven’t heard about this yet”.  Kathy said AHCCCS is unaware of the continued funding through HR 3765, and the QI-1 program will still end as of January 1st. She said, if there is any change, it will be posted on the AHCCCS web site and the 12,500 people in the QI-1 program will get letters.

Why doesn’t AHCCCS know about the continued funding? Does the state of Arizona have a choice in whether or not to use the block grants to help Medicare beneficiaries who qualify for help?