Months of Retiree Drug Subsidy Coverage

SAS Name
RDS_CVRG_MONS

This variable is the number of months during the year that the beneficiary was enrolled in an employer-sponsored prescription drug plan that qualified for Part D’s retiree drug subsidy (RDS). CCW derives this variable by counting the number of months where the beneficiary had retiree drug subsidy.

Comments

A month of RDS is when the RDS_IND_XX for the month = Y.

Some employers offer prescription drug plans to their retirees, and Part D pays a subsidy to plans that offer coverage that is equivalent to (or better than) conventional Part D benefits.

CMS does not collect PDEs for beneficiaries that are enrolled in RDS-eligible plans.

Source: CMS Common Medicare Environment (CME) (derived)