HARRISBURG – Legislation to protect thousands of Pennsylvania seniors from losing access to life-sustaining prescription medications is set to become law following final passage by the Senate, according to Sen. Lisa Baker (R-20), who supported the measure.
“For many of our senior citizens, prescription medications are not optional – they are essential to maintaining good health and quality of life,” said Baker. “Extending this policy ensures that a routine Social Security cost-of-living increase will not jeopardize access to the medications they depend on. Protecting our seniors from falling through the cracks is not only common sense, it is a responsibility we take seriously. I’m proud to support this bipartisan effort to give older Pennsylvanians greater security and peace of mind.”
House Bill 923 would extend the practice of excluding Social Security cost-of-living adjustments when calculating income eligibility for the PACE and PACENET programs. The exclusion, currently set to expire at the end of 2025, will be extended through Dec. 31, 2027, when the bill is signed by the governor.
Without the extension, 10,039 PACENET enrollees would lose their coverage. Additionally, 12,594 PACE enrollees would move to PACENET, losing their lower copayment and their PACE-paid Part D premium.
Funded by the Pennsylvania Lottery, PACE and PACENET have helped hundreds of thousands of older adults since their inception, providing low-cost prescriptions to those 65 and older.
More information about the programs, including the current income limits, is available online or by calling Baker’s office at 570-675-3931.
CONTACT: Jennifer Wilson