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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Joseph Brennan |
  
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Brennan bill would expand PACE/PACENET eligibility
HARRISBURG, June 3 – State Rep. Joe Brennan, D-Lehigh/Northampton, today introduced legislation that would expand eligibility for the state's PACE and PACENET prescription assistance programs for seniors.
Under current law, senior citizens and others applying for the state's Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program can exclude half of their Social Security or federal railroad retirement Tier 1 benefits from their income calculation. However, seniors applying for prescription assistance under PACE or PACENET must count all of their income. Both programs are funded by the state lottery.
The legislation Brennan has introduced (H.B. 2585) would allow seniors applying for PACE and PACENET to exclude a portion of their Social Security or federal railroad retirement income, just as with the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program.
"With the poor state of our current national economy and the continued rising costs of prescription drugs, we owe it to our senior citizens to make certain that prescription assistance is available to all those in need," Brennan said. "The Social Security and federal railroad retirement exclusion in the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program makes about 180,000 seniors eligible for the program who otherwise would not be. We need to do the same for seniors applying for PACE and PACENET."
In addition, Brennan's bill would allow federal retirees who are ineligible to receive Social Security benefits to exclude half of their federal retirement benefits when applying for PACE and PACENET, beginning with the 2007 income year. Legislation has already been introduced in the House to allow this same exclusion for federal retirees applying for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program if they are ineligible for Social Security benefits.
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l:'print'releases' PACE-PACENET.133
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