ASSEMBLY, No. 5520

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

219th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED MARCH 22, 2021

 


 

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman  VALERIE VAINIERI HUTTLE

District 37 (Bergen)

Assemblywoman  ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT

District 31 (Hudson)

Assemblyman  DANIEL R. BENSON

District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

 

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblyman Conaway, Assemblywomen Chaparro, Speight, Stanfield and Jasey

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Increases income eligibility limits for PAAD program and Senior Gold Prescription Discount Program by $10,000.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As introduced.

  


An Act concerning eligibility for the Pharmaceutical Assistance to 1 the Aged and Disabled program and amending P.L.1975, c.194.

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

 

     1.    Section 2 of P.L.1975, c.194 (C.30:4D-21) is amended to read as follows:

     2.    a.  Any resident of this State who is either a recipient of disability insurance benefits under Title II of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. s. 401 et seq.) or 65 years of age and over and whose annual income is less than [$16,624] $38,769 if single or, if married, whose annual income combined with that of his spouse is less than [$20,383] $45,270, shall be eligible for "Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled" if he is not otherwise qualified for assistance under P.L.1968, c.413 (C.30:4D-1 et seq.).  Annual income shall not include gain from the sale of a principal residence that is excluded from gross income pursuant to N.J.S.54A:6-9. 

     b.    Beginning January 1, 1996 and annually thereafter, the income eligibility limits provided in subsection a. of this section shall increase by the amount of the maximum Social Security benefit cost-of-living increase for that year for single and married persons, respectively.  The commissioner shall adopt the new income limits annually by regulation pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.). 

(cf: P.L.1995, c.27, s.1)

 

     2.    This act shall take effect on January 1, 2022, but the Commissioner of Human Services may take such anticipatory administrative action in advance as shall be necessary for the implementation of the act.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

This bill increases the income eligibility limits established in the Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled (PAAD) program to $38,769 for single persons and $45,270 combined income for married couples. Under the Senior Gold Prescription Discount Program, income eligibility limits are $10,000 higher than PAAD income eligibility limits. Therefore, this bill will increase income eligibility limits under the Senior Gold Prescription Discount program to $48,769 for single persons and $55,270 combined income for married couples.

Currently, the PAAD income limits for 2021 are $28,769 for single persons and $35,270 combined income for married couples.  Although the PAAD law states that income eligibility limits are $16,624 and $20,383 for single persons and married couples, respectively, an annual cost-of-living increase in income eligibility limits was adopted effective January 1, 1996, which has increased these eligibility levels each year. This bill retains the annual cost-of-living increase, but raises the overall income eligibility levels for the program, effective January 1, 2022.