97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB5879

 

Introduced 2/16/2012, by Rep. Lisa M. Dugan

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
320 ILCS 25/4  from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 404

    Amends the Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons Property Tax Relief and Pharmaceutical Assistance Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the amount of the grant.


LRB097 20466 KTG 65991 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB5879LRB097 20466 KTG 65991 b

1    AN ACT concerning aging.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Senior Citizens and Disabled Persons
5Property Tax Relief and Pharmaceutical Assistance Act is
6amended by changing Section 4 as follows:
 
7    (320 ILCS 25/4)  (from Ch. 67 1/2, par. 404)
8    Sec. 4. Amount of Grant.
9    (a) In general. Any individual 65 years or older or any
10individual who will become 65 years old during the the calendar
11year in which a claim is filed, and any surviving spouse of
12such a claimant, who at the time of death received or was
13entitled to receive a grant pursuant to this Section, which
14surviving spouse will become 65 years of age within the 24
15months immediately following the death of such claimant and
16which surviving spouse but for his or her age is otherwise
17qualified to receive a grant pursuant to this Section, and any
18disabled person whose annual household income is less than the
19income eligibility limitation, as defined in subsection (a-5)
20and whose household is liable for payment of property taxes
21accrued or has paid rent constituting property taxes accrued
22and is domiciled in this State at the time he or she files his
23or her claim is entitled to claim a grant under this Act. With

 

 

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1respect to claims filed by individuals who will become 65 years
2old during the calendar year in which a claim is filed, the
3amount of any grant to which that household is entitled shall
4be an amount equal to 1/12 of the amount to which the claimant
5would otherwise be entitled as provided in this Section,
6multiplied by the number of months in which the claimant was 65
7in the calendar year in which the claim is filed.
8    (a-5) Income eligibility limitation. For purposes of this
9Section, "income eligibility limitation" means an amount for
10grant years 2008 and thereafter:
11        (1) less than $22,218 for a household containing one
12    person;
13        (2) less than $29,480 for a household containing 2
14    persons; or
15        (3) less than $36,740 for a household containing 3 or
16    more persons.
17    For 2009 claim year applications submitted during calendar
18year 2010, a household must have annual household income of
19less than $27,610 for a household containing one person; less
20than $36,635 for a household containing 2 persons; or less than
21$45,657 for a household containing 3 or more persons.
22    The Department on Aging may adopt rules such that on
23January 1, 2011, and thereafter, the foregoing household income
24eligibility limits may be changed to reflect the annual cost of
25living adjustment in Social Security and Supplemental Security
26Income benefits that are applicable to the year for which those

 

 

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1benefits are being reported as income on an application.
2    If a person files as a surviving spouse, then only his or
3her income shall be counted in determining his or her household
4income.
5    (b) Limitation. Except as otherwise provided in
6subsections (a) and (f) of this Section, the maximum amount of
7grant which a claimant is entitled to claim is the amount by
8which the property taxes accrued which were paid or payable
9during the last preceding tax year or rent constituting
10property taxes accrued upon the claimant's residence for the
11last preceding taxable year exceeds 3 1/2% of the claimant's
12household income for that year but in no event is the grant to
13exceed (i) $700 less 4.5% of household income for that year for
14those with a household income of $14,000 or less or (ii) $70 if
15household income for that year is more than $14,000.
16    (c) Public aid recipients. If household income in one or
17more months during a year includes cash assistance in excess of
18$55 per month from the Department of Healthcare and Family
19Services or the Department of Human Services (acting as
20successor to the Department of Public Aid under the Department
21of Human Services Act) which was determined under regulations
22of that Department on a measure of need that included an
23allowance for actual rent or property taxes paid by the
24recipient of that assistance, the amount of grant to which that
25household is entitled, except as otherwise provided in
26subsection (a), shall be the product of (1) the maximum amount

 

 

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1computed as specified in subsection (b) of this Section and (2)
2the ratio of the number of months in which household income did
3not include such cash assistance over $55 to the number twelve.
4If household income did not include such cash assistance over
5$55 for any months during the year, the amount of the grant to
6which the household is entitled shall be the maximum amount
7computed as specified in subsection (b) of this Section. For
8purposes of this paragraph (c), "cash assistance" does not
9include any amount received under the federal Supplemental
10Security Income (SSI) program.
11    (d) Joint ownership. If title to the residence is held
12jointly by the claimant with a person who is not a member of
13his or her household, the amount of property taxes accrued used
14in computing the amount of grant to which he or she is entitled
15shall be the same percentage of property taxes accrued as is
16the percentage of ownership held by the claimant in the
17residence.
18    (e) More than one residence. If a claimant has occupied
19more than one residence in the taxable year, he or she may
20claim only one residence for any part of a month. In the case
21of property taxes accrued, he or she shall prorate 1/12 of the
22total property taxes accrued on his or her residence to each
23month that he or she owned and occupied that residence; and, in
24the case of rent constituting property taxes accrued, shall
25prorate each month's rent payments to the residence actually
26occupied during that month.

 

 

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1    (f) (Blank).
2    (g) Effective January 1, 2006, there is hereby established
3a program of pharmaceutical assistance to the aged and
4disabled, entitled the Illinois Seniors and Disabled Drug
5Coverage Program, which shall be administered by the Department
6of Healthcare and Family Services and the Department on Aging
7in accordance with this subsection, to consist of coverage of
8specified prescription drugs on behalf of beneficiaries of the
9program as set forth in this subsection.
10    To become a beneficiary under the program established under
11this subsection, a person must:
12        (1) be (i) 65 years of age or older or (ii) disabled;
13    and
14        (2) be domiciled in this State; and
15        (3) enroll with a qualified Medicare Part D
16    Prescription Drug Plan if eligible and apply for all
17    available subsidies under Medicare Part D; and
18        (4) for the 2006 and 2007 claim years, have a maximum
19    household income of (i) less than $21,218 for a household
20    containing one person, (ii) less than $28,480 for a
21    household containing 2 persons, or (iii) less than $35,740
22    for a household containing 3 or more persons; and
23        (5) for the 2008 claim year, have a maximum household
24    income of (i) less than $22,218 for a household containing
25    one person, (ii) $29,480 for a household containing 2
26    persons, or (iii) $36,740 for a household containing 3 or

 

 

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1    more persons; and
2        (6) for 2009 claim year applications submitted during
3    calendar year 2010, have annual household income of less
4    than (i) $27,610 for a household containing one person;
5    (ii) less than $36,635 for a household containing 2
6    persons; or (iii) less than $45,657 for a household
7    containing 3 or more persons; and
8        (7) as of September 1, 2011, have a maximum household
9    income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.
10    All individuals enrolled as of December 31, 2005, in the
11pharmaceutical assistance program operated pursuant to
12subsection (f) of this Section and all individuals enrolled as
13of December 31, 2005, in the SeniorCare Medicaid waiver program
14operated pursuant to Section 5-5.12a of the Illinois Public Aid
15Code shall be automatically enrolled in the program established
16by this subsection for the first year of operation without the
17need for further application, except that they must apply for
18Medicare Part D and the Low Income Subsidy under Medicare Part
19D. A person enrolled in the pharmaceutical assistance program
20operated pursuant to subsection (f) of this Section as of
21December 31, 2005, shall not lose eligibility in future years
22due only to the fact that they have not reached the age of 65.
23    To the extent permitted by federal law, the Department may
24act as an authorized representative of a beneficiary in order
25to enroll the beneficiary in a Medicare Part D Prescription
26Drug Plan if the beneficiary has failed to choose a plan and,

 

 

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1where possible, to enroll beneficiaries in the low-income
2subsidy program under Medicare Part D or assist them in
3enrolling in that program.
4    Beneficiaries under the program established under this
5subsection shall be divided into the following 4 eligibility
6groups:
7        (A) Eligibility Group 1 shall consist of beneficiaries
8    who are not eligible for Medicare Part D coverage and who
9    are:
10            (i) disabled and under age 65; or
11            (ii) age 65 or older, with incomes over 200% of the
12        Federal Poverty Level; or
13            (iii) age 65 or older, with incomes at or below
14        200% of the Federal Poverty Level and not eligible for
15        federally funded means-tested benefits due to
16        immigration status.
17        (B) Eligibility Group 2 shall consist of beneficiaries
18    who are eligible for Medicare Part D coverage.
19        (C) Eligibility Group 3 shall consist of beneficiaries
20    age 65 or older, with incomes at or below 200% of the
21    Federal Poverty Level, who are not barred from receiving
22    federally funded means-tested benefits due to immigration
23    status and are not eligible for Medicare Part D coverage.
24        If the State applies and receives federal approval for
25    a waiver under Title XIX of the Social Security Act,
26    persons in Eligibility Group 3 shall continue to receive

 

 

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1    benefits through the approved waiver, and Eligibility
2    Group 3 may be expanded to include disabled persons under
3    age 65 with incomes under 200% of the Federal Poverty Level
4    who are not eligible for Medicare and who are not barred
5    from receiving federally funded means-tested benefits due
6    to immigration status.
7        (D) Eligibility Group 4 shall consist of beneficiaries
8    who are otherwise described in Eligibility Group 2 who have
9    a diagnosis of HIV or AIDS.
10    The program established under this subsection shall cover
11the cost of covered prescription drugs in excess of the
12beneficiary cost-sharing amounts set forth in this paragraph
13that are not covered by Medicare. The Department of Healthcare
14and Family Services may establish by emergency rule changes in
15cost-sharing necessary to conform the cost of the program to
16the amounts appropriated for State fiscal year 2012 and future
17fiscal years except that the 24-month limitation on the
18adoption of emergency rules and the provisions of Sections
195-115 and 5-125 of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act
20shall not apply to rules adopted under this subsection (g). The
21adoption of emergency rules authorized by this subsection (g)
22shall be deemed to be necessary for the public interest,
23safety, and welfare.
24    For purposes of the program established under this
25subsection, the term "covered prescription drug" has the
26following meanings:

 

 

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1        For Eligibility Group 1, "covered prescription drug"
2    means: (1) any cardiovascular agent or drug; (2) any
3    insulin or other prescription drug used in the treatment of
4    diabetes, including syringe and needles used to administer
5    the insulin; (3) any prescription drug used in the
6    treatment of arthritis; (4) any prescription drug used in
7    the treatment of cancer; (5) any prescription drug used in
8    the treatment of Alzheimer's disease; (6) any prescription
9    drug used in the treatment of Parkinson's disease; (7) any
10    prescription drug used in the treatment of glaucoma; (8)
11    any prescription drug used in the treatment of lung disease
12    and smoking-related illnesses; (9) any prescription drug
13    used in the treatment of osteoporosis; and (10) any
14    prescription drug used in the treatment of multiple
15    sclerosis. The Department may add additional therapeutic
16    classes by rule. The Department may adopt a preferred drug
17    list within any of the classes of drugs described in items
18    (1) through (10) of this paragraph. The specific drugs or
19    therapeutic classes of covered prescription drugs shall be
20    indicated by rule.
21        For Eligibility Group 2, "covered prescription drug"
22    means those drugs covered by the Medicare Part D
23    Prescription Drug Plan in which the beneficiary is
24    enrolled.
25        For Eligibility Group 3, "covered prescription drug"
26    means those drugs covered by the Medical Assistance Program

 

 

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1    under Article V of the Illinois Public Aid Code.
2        For Eligibility Group 4, "covered prescription drug"
3    means those drugs covered by the Medicare Part D
4    Prescription Drug Plan in which the beneficiary is
5    enrolled.
6    Any person otherwise eligible for pharmaceutical
7assistance under this subsection whose covered drugs are
8covered by any public program is ineligible for assistance
9under this subsection to the extent that the cost of those
10drugs is covered by the other program.
11    The Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall
12establish by rule the methods by which it will provide for the
13coverage called for in this subsection. Those methods may
14include direct reimbursement to pharmacies or the payment of a
15capitated amount to Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans.
16    For a pharmacy to be reimbursed under the program
17established under this subsection, it must comply with rules
18adopted by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services
19regarding coordination of benefits with Medicare Part D
20Prescription Drug Plans. A pharmacy may not charge a
21Medicare-enrolled beneficiary of the program established under
22this subsection more for a covered prescription drug than the
23appropriate Medicare cost-sharing less any payment from or on
24behalf of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services.
25    The Department of Healthcare and Family Services or the
26Department on Aging, as appropriate, may adopt rules regarding

 

 

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1applications, counting of income, proof of Medicare status,
2mandatory generic policies, and pharmacy reimbursement rates
3and any other rules necessary for the cost-efficient operation
4of the program established under this subsection.
5    (h) A qualified individual is not entitled to duplicate
6benefits in a coverage period as a result of the changes made
7by this amendatory Act of the 96th General Assembly.
8(Source: P.A. 96-804, eff. 1-1-10; 97-74, eff. 6-30-11; 97-333,
9eff. 8-12-11.)