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SB545 • 2026

relative to financial eligibility for the Medicare savings program.

relative to financial eligibility for the Medicare savings program.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Cindy Rosenwald (D), Rebecca Perkins Kwoka (D), Laura Telerski (D), Pat Long (D), Debra Altschiller (D), Mary Hakken-Phillips (D), Donovan Fenton (D), Mary Jane Wallner (D), David Nagel (D), David Watters (D), Lucy Weber (D)
Last action
2026-04-23
Official status
HOUSE
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

relative to financial eligibility for the Medicare savings program.

relative to financial eligibility for the Medicare savings program.

What This Bill Does

  • relative to financial eligibility for the Medicare savings program.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-23 H

    Inexpedient to Legislate: MA RC 182-153 04/23/2026 HJ 11

  2. 2026-04-15 H

    Majority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate 04/15/2026 (Vote 10-8; RC)

  3. 2026-04-15 H

    Minority Committee Report: Ought to Pass

  4. 2026-04-07 H

    Executive Session: 04/15/2026 10:00 am GP 158

  5. 2026-04-01 H

    Public Hearing: 04/08/2026 09:00 am GP 158

  6. 2026-03-27 H

    Introduced 03/26/2026 and referred to Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs HJ 9 P. 54

  7. 2026-03-23 S

    Committee Amendment #2026-1210s , AA, VV; 03/26/2026; SJ 7

  8. 2026-03-23 S

    Ought to Pass with Amendment #2026-1210s , MA, VV; OT3rdg; 03/26/2026; SJ 7

  9. 2026-03-19 S

    Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment #2026-1210s , 03/26/2026; Vote 7-0; CC; SC 11

  10. 2026-02-18 S

    Ought to Pass: MA, VV; Refer to Finance Rule 4-5; 02/19/2026; SJ 4

  11. 2026-02-12 S

    Committee Report: Ought to Pass, 02/19/2026; Vote 4-1; CC; SC 6

  12. 2025-12-15 S

    Hearing: 01/14/2026, Room 100, SH, 09:00 am; SC 47

  13. 2025-11-24 S

    Introduced 01/07/2026 and Referred to Health and Human Services; SJ 1

Official Summary Text

relative to financial eligibility for the Medicare savings program.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SB 545-FN - AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE

03/26/2026 1210s
2026 SESSION
26-2127
05/08

SENATE BILL
545-FN

AN ACT
relative to financial eligibility for the Medicare savings program.

SPONSORS: Sen. Rosenwald, Dist 13; Sen. Long, Dist 20; Sen. Fenton, Dist 10; Sen. Watters, Dist 4; Sen. Perkins Kwoka, Dist 21; Sen. Altschiller, Dist 24; Rep. Wallner, Merr. 19; Rep. Weber, Ches. 5; Rep. Telerski, Hills. 11; Rep. Hakken-Phillips, Graf. 12; Rep. Nagel, Belk. 6

COMMITTEE: Health and Human Services

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

ANALYSIS

This bill removes the resource limit for the Medicare savings program and, subject to CMS approval, makes the low income subsidy for Medicare Part D available to residents to assist with prescription drug costs.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in
bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [
in brackets and struckthrough.
]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
03/26/2026 1210s 26-2127
05/08

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT
relative to financial eligibility for the Medicare savings program.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Short Title. This act shall be known as "The Help for Low Income Seniors Act of 2026".

2 New Section; Financial Eligibility for Medicare Savings Program. Amend RSA 167 by inserting after section 4-f the following new section:
167:4-g Medicare Savings Program.
I. The department shall administer the Medicare savings program as described in 42 U.S.C. section 1396a(a)(10)(E) in accordance with federal law and this section.
II. Financial eligibility for the Medicare savings program shall, subject to CMS approval, make the low income subsidy for Medicare Part D available to residents to assist with prescription drug costs.
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

LBA
26-2127
04/07/2026

SB 545-FN-
FISCAL NOTE
AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE (AMENDMENT #2026-1210s)

AN ACT
relative to financial eligibility for the Medicare savings program.

FISCAL IMPACT:
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to make the low-income subsidy for Medicare Part D available to residents who meet the financial eligibility criteria for participation in the Medicare savings program. The Depatment notes that the subsidy is already available to such residents, although there is currently no requirement in either state or federal law that this be the case. The subsidy is administered by the federal government and is fully federally funded, provided that expenditures do not exceed the state's allocation of federal funds available for this purpose. The Department notes that from calendar years 2021 through 2025, subsidy expenditures have ranged from 55 percent to 67 percent of the state's allotment. For this reason, the Department assumes that the bill will have no fiscal impact.

AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Department of Health and Human Services