The State House, Jan. 27, unanimously voted to send to the Senate a measure to allow nearly 40,000 Pennsylvania seniors to maintain access and allow nearly 10,000 additional seniors to qualify for the PACE and PACENET prescription drug programs, reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129)
House Bill 777 would allow seniors who would be bumped from eligibility by Social Security cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) to stay in the PACE and PACENET programs and also would deduct Medicare Part B premiums from one’s income in order to increase eligibility for both programs.
PACE and PACENET offer life-sustaining medications to approximately 300,000 older Pennsylvanians. Current income eligibility levels for PACE are set at less than $14,500 for a single person and less than $17,700 for a couple. PACENET, which covers those individuals with incomes exceeding PACE maximums, is open to individuals earning between $14,500 and $23,500 and couples with incomes between $17,700 and $31,500. The minimum age to participate in the programs is 65, and they are funded from proceeds of the Pennsylvania Lottery.