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Summary:
The Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-173) establishes a prescription drug benefit that begins in 2006. The costsharing for prescription drugs is reduced for certain beneficiaries, depending on their income-to-poverty ratio and other factors. Using the most recent data, this report provides state-by-state estimates of the percentage and number of beneficiaries who fall below various low-income thresholds, using the definition of income specified in the law. The asset (or "resource") limits were not factored into the analysis. This report replaces CRS Report RL31736, Medicare Prescription Drug Proposals: Estimates of Aged Beneficiaries Who Fall Below Income Criteria, by State and will be updated to reflect new legislation or data.
