The federal government has reimbursed Maine for the money it spent on drugs after Medicare Part D failed to fulfill its promises, U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe said.
Snowe’s office announced the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services transferred the money Friday.
The exact amount of the reimbursement was unavailable Friday night, but in early June a state official said Maine was applying for about $7 million.
Maine got 95 percent of its money back, according to a spokesman for Snowe. Five percent was withheld for accounting purposes.
Medicare Part D started Jan. 1 to provide prescription drug plans to the elderly and disabled. But the program immediately floundered under a tide of computer glitches and enrollment problems. Within days, Maine began picking up the tab for people who couldn’t get what they needed from the federal program.
At one point, the state was spending $100,000 a day on that safety net. It continues to spend about $100,000 a week.
The federal government agreed to reimburse Maine for the money it spent, but only through March 31. The state said it spent about $8 million.
Maine billed the government for the biggest chunk, $7 million. It must send a separate bill for about $1 million in administrative costs and Drugs for the Elderly participants.
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