(AP) -- Thousands of elderly and disabled Missourians will continue getting state subsidies for prescription drugs under legislation signed by Gov. Jay Nixon.

The Missouri Rx Plan had been due to expire Aug. 28. But legislation enacted Friday will reauthorize the program for an additional three years.

The Department of Social Services says more than 212,000 people currently participate in Missouri Rx. Under the program, the states pay half the Medicare deductibles and copayments on prescriptions for individuals with annual incomes up to $21,660 or married couples earning up to $29,140.

Nixon held a bill signing ceremony Friday in front of a pharmacy at a St. Louis health clinic. He said the program provides critical aid to lower-income seniors and disabled residents.

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