17th DISTRICT

Pa. Republicans push for prescription drug pland

State Rep. Rod Wilt says playing politics and holding press conferences aren’t his thing.

But the 17th District Republican said he "feels strongly" about an $182.4 million expansion of the state’s prescription drug plan that House Republicans unveiled Thursday with a series of press conferences across the state.

Wilt held one of 10 Republican press conferences at his newly opened office at Greenville Plaza in Hempfield Township.

The plan would expand access to PACENET, the state’s lottery-funded prescription drug plan for middle-income seniors. Seniors who make up to $22,000 and senior couples that make up to $30,000 would be eligible. Current limits are $16,000 and $19,200, respectively.

The plan would dump the $500 annual deductible for a $40 monthly fee. "Right now, elderly Pennsylvanians don’t receive a dime until they’ve paid a $500 deductible. That’s out-of-pocket cash, due immediately after the holidays," Wilt said.

"Nobody should be forced to choose between giving holiday gifts and taking a heart medication," he added.

Through the plan, 410,000 more seniors would be eligible to receive drug benefits, Wilt said.

The GOP plan would also offer prescription benefits to those 19 and older who have no insurance coverage, Wilt said.

The Pennsylvania Extraordinary Prescription Plan would provide a $10 co-pay on generic drugs and $25 on brand-name drugs, up to $5,000 a year, for an estimated 2.1 million Pennsylvanians. The same eligibility limits as PACENET apply.

The PACENET expansion would cost $38.6 million and the PEPP $143.8 million.

The lion’s share of the cost -- $115.5 million -- would be paid by money from the federal tobacco settlement. Wilt said $62.5 million of the cost would come from savings from bulk purchasing of drugs. The plan requires nursing homes, hospitals and prisons to return sealed, unused drugs to vendors, which could yield $4.4 million to fund the plan.

Wilt said the tobacco money would be well-spent: "No issue is as pressing right now as prescription drugs."

Wilt said the plan could be introduced in the House Sept. 25, when the legislative session resumes. The House has eight working days left before the general election and only a handful of days afterward before a new Legislature takes office in January. If the bill is to be enacted into law this year, it must pass both houses of the General Assembly.

"Our Republican leadership has told me this is our top priority for the remainder of the legislative session. I believe we can get this enacted into law by the end of the legislative session on Nov. 30," he added.

The Republican plan isn’t guaranteed passage in the House. With the resignation of Republican state Rep. Thomas Druce this week, the balance of power in the House is split equally, with 100 Republicans and 100 Democrats.

Wilt said every Republican representative would vote for the plan: "We (Republicans) will not battle anyone in our own caucus."

Democrats also have a plan, Wilt said, "to basically blow up PACENET and start a whole new program."

"What today’s Republican announcement amounts to is nothing more than a craven effort to cover them for November," said Rep. Michael R. Veon, D-Beaver, the House minority whip.

Wilt is running unopposed for a third term this year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.