Refusing to let its senior population fall through the cracks, Maine has spent $3.6 million so far to make sure people are able to get their prescription drugs despite glitches in Medicare Part D.

The feds, while thankful for the help, aren’t offering to reimburse Maine – and a handful of other states that are doing the same thing – for the good deed. The best they say they’re willing to do is help the state go after insurance companies that are part of the problem.

Maine set money aside in anticipation of the problems with Part D. The state was quick to act to make sure seniors could get their medicine. The federal handling of the introduction of Part D, meanwhile, has been a mess.

State budgets won’t be able to absorb the liability forever. If Part D can’t be sorted out soon and there’s no intention of paying for the damage it’s causing, there’s a real danger that people are going to be left with a worthless new prescription drug plan and no drugs.