PACE, PACENET and PACE plus Medicare are Pennsylvania's prescription assistance programs for older adults, offering low-cost prescription medication to qualified residents, age 65 and older. As of this year, the legislature passed a law excluding Social Security Medicare Part B premiums from being counted towards income levels. Read more
Pennsylvania has a Children's Health Insurance Program that provides free and low-cost health insurance to children. CHIP is not welfare – it covers children of working parents whose employers don't offer coverage and who can't afford private insurance. If you can't afford health insurance for your children, chances are they are eligible for CHIP. Read more
Each year, the Pennsylvania Treasury receives millions of dollars of unclaimed property. It is estimated that roughly one in 10 Pennsylvanians has unclaimed property. Read more
In Pennsylvania, you can choose the company that generates your electricity – also known as your electric supplier. This means that you have the power to switch to a competing supplier who can offer the lowest price, or provide a specific service you want, such as “green” or renewable energy. Read more
PITTSBURGH, Jan. 14 – State Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Allegheny, today commended Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto for standing by the city's gun-safety laws in the face of a lawsuit from the National Rifle Association. Frankel strongly opposed the new state law that allows the NRA and other groups to sue Pennsylvania communities that have local ordinances requiring the reporting of lost or stolen guns. Some smaller communities have begun to repeal their ordinances rather than face legal bills from lawsuits by the NRA or other groups. "I commend Mayor Peduto for standing up for gun safety and common sense to protect Pittsburgh residents and visitors, and I hope he and the city council will continue to do so. I believe there is a good chance the new state law can be overturned in court as unconstitutional, and then an attempt at reviving it would have to get past Governor-elect Wolf instead of being rubber-stamped as Governor Corbett did last year," Frankel said. "The new legislature also needs to focus on top priorities, such as closing the $2 billion deficit Governor Corbett is leaving behind, restoring school funding and raising Pennsylvania from our dead-last rank in job creation. Wasting more time on special-interest legislation like what I call the ‘NRA Lawyer Employment Act’ would not help with any of those dire needs," Frankel added. ### Read more
HARRISBURG, Jan. 13 – State Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Allegheny, has continued his efforts to build support for "patient trust" legislation, including speaking on the issue to a national doctors' organization last week. Frankel, co-chair of the legislature's Women's Health Caucus, spoke to the American Medical Association Friday in New Orleans about keeping politics out of the provider-patient relationship. His proposed Patient Trust Act would ban government entities from requiring providers to care for patients in a way that is not considered medically appropriate or forcing providers to tell patients anything that is not medically accurate. Frankel plans to reintroduce the bill, which was H.B. 2303 in the 2013-14 session. Frankel said, "Patients trust that their doctor is telling them the whole truth, and that their health is the doctor’s primary concern. We should protect that trust. Patients shouldn’t worry that they are on the receiving end of a political agenda when they go to the doctor." The legislation is in response to laws that have passed in several states, including Pennsylvania, that force providers to practice medicine in a way that is not in line with basic medical standards. Last year, the National Partnership for Women & Families detailed a number of problematic intrusions on medical decision-making in its report: "Bad Medicine: How a Political Agenda is Undermining Women’s Health Read more
HARRISBURG, Jan. 6 – State Rep. Dan Frankel, D-Allegheny, was sworn in today for a ninth term representing Pittsburgh's 23rd Legislative District. He is also serving for a third term as Democratic caucus chairman, the third-highest ranking member of the caucus leadership. "Pennsylvanians will expect the new legislature to work with Governor-elect Tom Wolf, whose term begins January 20, to address the serious challenges left from Governor Corbett's term, including a $2 billion deficit, the need to restore funding that was cut from K-12 and higher education and Pennsylvania's rock-bottom ranking in job creation. I and other Democrats stand ready to do our part to pass common-sense solutions that Pennsylvanians support, such as a reasonable tax on gas drilling," Frankel said. "Pennsylvanians will also expect bipartisan cooperation on important issues such as the continuing UPMC-Highmark dispute, other health care reform and transparency issues, equal protections for LGBT Pennsylvanians – including in the workplace -- and continued support for proactive women’s health initiatives," added Frankel, co-chair of the Women's Health Caucus. Frankel was first elected to the House in 1998. He previously served as chairman of the Allegheny County Democratic Delegation. As a legislator, he has championed numerous initiatives, such as increased funding for mass transit, community and economic development in Read more
Pennsylvania's children have a new protection thanks to Hannah's Law, named after Hannah Ginion of Bristol Township, who suffered from the rare genetic disorder called Krabbe disease. Hannah passed away on Dec. 28, 2014. Read more
Recently, my office received information about phone calls received statewide in which an individual claimed to be from the IRS and demanded payment on taxes owed. Please be aware – this phone call is a scam, and the IRS will NOT initiate first contact with you on the phone about taxes owed. Always be wary of unsolicited phone calls in which an individual claims to represent a business or government entity and aggressively demands payment. The IRS does not operate this way and will always send official correspondence through the mail to make its first contact with you. Read more
Landmark legislation passed during the 2013-14 Legislative Session now allows first responders, including law enforcement, fire fighters, EMS or other organizations the ability to administer a medication known as naloxone, a life-saving opioid-overdose antidote. The law also allows individuals such as friends or family members who might be in a position to help a person at risk of experiencing an opioid-related overdose to obtain a prescription for naloxone. Additionally, Act 139 provides immunity from prosecution for those responding to and reporting overdoses. Read more
House Bill 993, which renamed the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare as the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, was signed into law as Act 132 during the 2013-14 Legislative Session. According to advocates for the change, renaming the department was long overdue, and as the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported, the name change better reflects the department’s mission. Read more
As we get into the coldest months of winter, many people are worried about affording their increasing heating costs. If you or someone you know qualifies, my office could help you take advantage of a program set up to curtail high home heating bills. Read more
The open enrollment period for health care coverage is now underway. If you or someone you know is in need of health insurance, please consider visiting the federal Marketplace at www.HealthCare.gov. Applicants have until Feb. 16, 2015 to enroll. Everyone, no matter what age, needs health insurance. A random accident or unexpected illness could put you in danger of losing not only your good health but also your financial future. Read more
To register for the Pennsylvania and national do-not-call lists, visit http://www.attorneygeneral.gov/dnc.aspx or call 1-888-777-3406. Registration is free. There is a rolling enrollment; individuals may sign up at any time and the registration is good for five years. After that, you can re-enroll. And, signing up on Pennsylvania's list automatically adds those numbers to the national do-not-call list. Read more
Last year’s bitterly cold winter left many people struggling to pay higher-than-normal home energy bills. As we head toward the coldest months of the year, there are ways you can winterize your home to keep heat in, cold air out, and money in your pocket. Many businesses offer professional home energy audits, but you can perform your own by inspecting areas where heat escapes and cold air leaks in. Read more
While it may be the season for charitable giving, scammers don't take a holiday. The Pennsylvania Department of State offers a simple way to ensure a charity is legitimate and that your donation will be used properly. Read more
Legislation seeks to protect doctor-patient relationship Read more
Mandating bad medicine Read more
Advocate urges Corbett to join Republicans who accept Medicaid expansion for Ohio Read more
Leaving an Imprint on History with Rep. Dan Frankel Read more
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