(a) General rule. The State agency must make eligibility determinations and redeterminations for low-income premium and cost-sharing subsidies in accordance with subpart P of part 423.

(b) Notification to CMS. The State agency must inform CMS of cases where eligibility is established or redetermined, in a manner determined by CMS.

(c) Screening for eligibility for Medicare cost-sharing and enrollment under the State plan. States must—

(1) Screen individuals who apply for subsidies under this part for eligibility for Medicaid programs that provide assistance with Medicare cost-sharing specified in section 1905(p)(3) of the Act.

(2) Offer enrollment for the programs under the State plan (or under a waiver of the plan) for those meeting the eligibility requirements.

(d) Application form and process—(1) Assistance with application. No later than July 1, 2005, States must make available—

(i) Low-income subsidy application forms;

(ii) Information on the nature of, and eligibility requirements for, the subsidies under this section; and

(iii) Assistance with completion of low-income subsidy application forms.

(2) Completion of application. The State must require an individual or personal representative applying for the low-income subsidy to—

(i) Complete all required elements of the application and provide documents, as necessary, consistent with paragraph (d)(3) of this section; and

(ii) Certify, under penalty of perjury or similar sanction for false statements, as to the accuracy of the information provided on the application form.

(3) The application process and States.

(i) States may require submission of statements from financial institutions for an application for low-income subsidies to be considered complete; and

(ii) May require that information submitted on the application be subject to verification in a manner the State determines to be most cost-effective and efficient.

(4) Other information. States must provide CMS with other information as specified by CMS that may be needed to carry out the requirements of the Part D prescription drug benefit.