BOSCOLA INFORMS SENIORS OF NEW PACE PLUS
PRESCRIPTION DRUG PROGRAM

PA Seniors enrolled in PACE Plus will pay less for
prescriptions than in any other state
 

     BETHLEHEM (July 20) – State Sen. Lisa M. Boscola informs Pennsylvania seniors of a new law, signed by Gov. Ed Rendell on July 7, that creates the PACE Plus program, which permits the PACE/PACENET programs to coordinate benefits with Medicare Part D. 

     Under the new law, PACE/PACENET will “wrap around” the federal program and fill the gaps in coverage, including when consumers reach the so-called “doughnut hole” in the Medicare Part D coverage. This coordination of benefits will allow cardholders to continue to receive the same prescription benefit that they have been receiving while, in most cases, saving more money on their prescription drugs.

      “By providing this type of wrap-around benefit, PACE Plus becomes the most comprehensive prescription drug plan in the nation,” Boscola said.  “The PACE/PACENET program is vital in providing life-sustaining medications at affordable prices to our seniors and I am glad that we were able to strengthen this program to pass on additional savings to them.”

     By merging the benefits of PACE/PACENET and Medicare Part D, this allows for PACE/PACENET to achieve significant savings because Medicare Part D will be the primary payer and PACE/PACENET will be the secondary payer.  This program will be paying the Part D Premium for its cardholders therefore the Commonwealth is urging these individuals to accept the Part D plan that has been selected for them.

     “I would like to reassure seniors that by enrolling in a Part D plan they are NOT losing their PACE/PACENET benefits nor will they diminish in anyway,” Boscola said.   

     The Part D effective date will be Sept. 1, 2006 and the PACE/PACENET cardholders of Pennsylvania have been granted a special enrollment period by those who administer Part D.  Therefore, neither the cardholder nor the program will be assessed a premium penalty for late enrollment. 

     For additional information on the PACE/PACENET program or questions about the PACE Plus program, please feel free to contact one of Sen. Boscola’s District offices in Bethlehem (610) 868-8667, Stroudsburg (570) 420-2938 or Whitehall (610) 266-2117 or by visiting the Senator’s website www.senatorboscola.com.

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