PRINTER'S NO. 3398
No. 601 Session of 2004
INTRODUCED BY WILLIAMS, BELFANTI, ARMSTRONG, BALDWIN, BEBKO-
JONES, CAPPELLI, CASORIO, COY, CREIGHTON, DERMODY, DeWEESE,
DONATUCCI, FABRIZIO, FAIRCHILD, FORCIER, GEIST, GEORGE,
GILLESPIE, GINGRICH, GOOD, GOODMAN, HERMAN, HESS, HORSEY,
JAMES, KELLER, KIRKLAND, LAUGHLIN, LEDERER, LEWIS, MARKOSEK,
McGILL, McILHATTAN, MYERS, READSHAW, ROSS, RUBLEY, RUFFING,
SAINATO, SAYLOR, SEMMEL, SOLOBAY, TANGRETTI, E. Z. TAYLOR,
THOMAS, TIGUE, TRAVAGLIO, WALKO AND WOJNAROSKI,
MARCH 15, 2004
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
MARCH 15, 2004
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating the week of March 21 through 27, 2004, as "PACE and
2 PACENET Week" in Pennsylvania.
3 WHEREAS, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has been providing
4 pharmaceutical assistance coverage for low-income senior
5 citizens for 20 years; and
6 WHEREAS, State Lottery Fund revenues and tobacco funds
7 support the Pharmaceutical Assistance Contract for the Elderly
8 (PACE) and the Pharmaceutical Assistance Contract for the
9 Elderly Needs Enhancement Tier (PACENET) programs; and
10 WHEREAS, These programs have saved and will continue to save
11 millions of dollars in costs as a result of hospitalization and
12 nursing care facility institutionalization for many individuals
13 being prevented or delayed because enrollees have been kept
14 healthy with their needed prescription medications; and
1 WHEREAS, PACE and PACENET have been so successful that the
2 programs have served as a model for the newly created Federal
3 Medicare prescription plan; and
4 WHEREAS, On November 26, 2003, the Governor signed into law a
5 bill passed by the General Assembly that will benefit more
6 seniors; and
7 WHEREAS, PACE and PACENET recipients must still be over 65
8 years of age, be Pennsylvania residents for more than 90 days
9 and not qualify for Medicaid; and
10 WHEREAS, The current income eligibility for the PACE program
11 has been raised to an annual income of less than $14,500 for a
12 single applicant or $17,700 for a married couple; and
13 WHEREAS, PACE recipients benefit from $6 copayments on
14 generic prescriptions and $9 copayments on brand name
15 prescriptions; and
16 WHEREAS, The current income eligibility for the PACENET
17 program has been raised to an annual income limit of less than
18 $23,500 for individuals and $31,500 for a married couple; and
19 WHEREAS, PACENET recipients benefit from the change in
20 deductible to $40 per month; and
21 WHEREAS, PACENET recipients benefit from $8 copayments on
22 generic prescriptions and $15 copayments on brand name
23 prescriptions; and
24 WHEREAS, The General Assembly encourages senior centers,
25 residential facilities, places of worship and other places where
26 seniors congregate to heighten awareness about and offer
27 applications for PACE and PACENET; therefore be it
28 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
29 week of March 21 through 27, 2004, as "PACE and PACENET Week" in
30 Pennsylvania.
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