Two bills recently signed by Governor Tom Wolf expand senior prescription assistance.
PACE enrollees can keep their benefits through the end of 2023, despite disqualifying increases to their income. That moratorium was extended, after it was supposed to expire at the end of last year.
The bills also expand income eligibility limits for PACENET for $6000 and remove the premium clawback.
“Many older Pennsylvanians find themselves on a fixed income. They have to struggle to make ends meet. Nobody should have to choose between paying bills, buying groceries or purchasing the medications they need,” said Governor Wolf.
20,000 people are expected to enroll in the programs this year. 2022 enrollment for PACE and PACENET begin in February.
State Department of Aging Secretary Robert Torres says Pennsylvania’s population is getting older, with the “over-60” population expected to grow by over 17-percent by 2030.
“This population growth heightens our responsibility to assure that important safety net like PACE are maintained and supported. It also highlights the need for all of us who work on behalf of older adults to enact policies and to develop innovative programs that reflect what older adults are telling us they want.”
The expansion means an additional 100,000 people are eligible for the programs.
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