House Bill 923, introduced by state Rep. Nikki Rivera, D-Lancaster, and co -sponsored with state Rep. Shelby Labs, R-Bucks, was made to protect older Pennsylvanians from losing eligibility for the state’s prescription drug programs. The bill was unanimously passed by the House on April 22.
The bill plans to extend the current moratorium on Social Security cost-of-living adjustments for PACE (Pharmaceutical Assistance Contract for the Elderly) and PACENET (PACE Needs Enhancement Tier) eligibility from Dec. 31 of this year to Dec. 31, 2027.
“These programs, PACE and PACENET, provide lifesaving services at a greatly reduced cost to a population that lives on fixed incomes,” Rivera said. “They make it possible so that a quarter of a million seniors, many of whom require multiple medications to treat different chronic conditions, can purchase life-saving medications without having to go into medical debt, or, even worse, decide they must forgo treatment.”
Rivera has noted that without extending the moratorium, 10,039 PACENET enrollees would lose their coverage, and 12,594 PACE enrollees would move to PACENET, lose their lower copayment and their PACE-paid Part D premium.
This bill has now moved on to the Senate for consideration. Rivera is encouraging Lancaster area seniors who are 65-years-old or older that need assistance paying for their prescriptions to contact her office to learn more about PACE and PACENET. She can be reached by phone at 717-295-3157 or in person at her office located at 1560 Lititz Pike, Suite 2, Lancaster, PA 17601-6523.
