Rivera bill to help Pa. seniors maintain Rx benefits to become law
Rep. Nikki Rivera November 19, 2025 | 1:32 PM
HARRISBURG, Nov. 19 – Legislation championed by state Rep. Nikki Rivera, D-Lancaster, to ensure that older Pennsylvanians do not lose their eligibility for the state’s prescription drug programs is headed to Gov. Josh Shapiro to be signed into law.
Rivera’s H.B. 923 will shield seniors from losing PACE and PACENET prescription eligibility if their annual Social Security cost-of-living adjustment exceeds normal income eligibility guidelines. This protection currently is in place until Dec. 31, 2025. The bill will extend it for two more years -- until Dec. 31, 2027.
According to Rivera, the Social Security COLA for 2025 is currently 2.5%. If the moratorium is not extended, 10,039 PACENET enrollees would lose their eligibility. Additionally, 12,594 PACE enrollees would be moved to PACENET, resulting in the loss of their lower copayments and the PACE-paid Part D premium.
“PACE and PACENET are true lifesavers for hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvania seniors, and so are Social Security cost-of-living adjustments,” Rivera said. “Our seniors should not have to stress over whether they can maintain eligibility for a program that helps them afford their prescription medications simply because the government has rightfully adjusted Social Security to keep up with the cost of living.
“Our prescription drug programs help keep people from going into medical debt or giving up their treatments because they can’t afford their medicines. Supporting our seniors in ways like this legislation does is easily achievable if we work together and put people’s interests ahead of partisan politics. I’m delighted that my colleagues in the House and Senate saw the wisdom in that and supported the legislation before it was too late,” she said.
Having passed the House and Senate, the bill will now be presented to Shapiro for his signature.
Lancaster area seniors who are 65 or older and who need help paying for their prescriptions are encouraged to contact Rivera’s office to learn more about PACE and PACENET. Her office is located at 1560 Lititz Pike, Suite 2, Lancaster, PA, 17601-6523, and can be reached by phone at 717-295-3157.