Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled (PAAD): Important Prescription Drug Benefit for People Who Are at Least 65 Years Old or Disabled

Medicare does not pay for prescription medicine. If you live in New Jersey and are elderly or disabled but do not have Medicaid or health insurance coverage that fully pays for your prescription medicines, you may be eligible under a program that helps you pay for them. It is called PAAD (Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled). Individuals who are eligible for PAAD pay only $5.00 per prescription. The PAAD program will pay the rest of the cost of each prescription.

To be eligible for PAAD, you must meet the following requirements:

• You are a New Jersey resident;
  
  
• Your annual gross income is less than $20,988 if you are single, or less than $25,734 if you are married; and
  
  
• You are at least 65 years of age or at least 18 years old and receiving Social Security Disability benefits.

The PAAD program helps eligible New Jersey residents pay for prescription drugs, insulin, insulin needles, certain diabetic testing materials, and syringes and needles for injectable medicines for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Drugs purchased outside the state of New Jersey are not covered.

To apply for the PAAD program, ask your local pharmacist for an application. Or you can call the program’s toll-free number (1-800-792-9745) and they will mail an application to you.

Utility Bill Assistance Program (Lifeline)

If you are eligible for PAAD or you receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), you are also eligible for assistance with your utility bills through the Lifeline program. This program offers $225 for electric and/or natural gas bills to utility company customers as well as to tenants whose utility bills are included in their rent.

If you pay utility bills directly to a single utility company, a $225 credit will appear on your utility bill. If you receive service from two companies, the $225 credit will be divided equally between the two utilities. If the cost of your utilities is included in your rent, you will receive a check for $225.

When you apply for the PAAD program, you may also apply for the Lifeline benefit by answering the questions on the PAAD application that are about the Lifeline program. If you are currently enrolled in PAAD but you have not applied for the Lifeline benefit, you may apply by calling the PAAD program at their toll-free number (1-800-792-9745).

Hearing Aid Assistance Program (HAAAD)

The State of New Jersey also has a program that provides a $100 reimbursement to eligible people who purchase a hearing aid. This program is the Hearing Aid Assistance to the Aged and Disabled (HAAAD). A “hearing aid” means a custom-fitted ear level or body-worn electronic device that enhances communication for the hearing impaired.

The HAAAD program has the same eligibility requirements as the PAAD program. You must:

• Be a New Jersey resident;
  
  
• Have an annual gross income that is less than $20,988 if you are single, or $25,734 if you are married; and
  
  
• Be at least 65 years of age or at least 18 years of age and receiving Social Security Disability benefits

If you are not enrolled in PAAD, you must complete a PAAD application to verify your age or disability status, residency, and annual income. If you are currently enrolled in the PAAD program, you must complete a HAAAD application and submit the following documentation:

• A receipt for the purchase of your hearing aid; and
  
  
• A written statement from your doctor that says it was medically necessary for you to obtain a hearing aid.

To apply for the PAAD, HAAAD, and Lifeline programs, you may call toll-free 1-800-792-9745 or write to:

PAAD-HAAAD
P.O. Box 715
Trenton, NJ 08625-0715

LIFELINE
P.O. Box 714
Trenton, NJ 08625-0714

This article originally appeared in the April 2002 issue of Looking Out for Your Legal Rights^®.