The Pennsylvania Department of Welfare has announced welcome changes to their Special Pharmaceuticals Benefits Program. Effective January 24, 2013, a greater number of Pennsylvanians seeking life-saving prescription drug coverage are likely to qualify for help—a consequence of SPBP’s increase in income eligibility levels. Former guidelines required applicants to report incomes at or below 337% of the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines; the often restrictive threshold has now been raised to 500%. An individual earning up to $57,400 now qualifies for much needed assistance.
Special Pharmaceutical Benefits Program (SPBP) covers prescriptions and some lab services for people with HIV/AIDS or with a diagnosis of Schizophrenia. It is not a health insurance program.
SPBP applications and re-enrollment forms may now be submitted by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Click here to download a copy of the application.
For more information on the program, click here.
Effective January 24, 2013, the income limit for new applicants for SBPB has been raised from 337% of the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines (FPIG) to 500%. SPBP has no resource limit.
This means individuals applying for the first time and persons recertifying to stay on the program will have the same income limits. In 2013, an individual can have income up to $57,450.00 (one-person household) when applying for the benefit. See the chart below for SPBP income guidelines:
EFFECTIVE: 1/24/13
ALLOWANCES $20,100.00 Each | ALL APPLICANTS $57,450.00 |
| SINGLE | $57,450.00 |
| 1 | $77,550.00 |
| 2 | $97,650.00 |
| 3 | $117,750.00 |
| 4 | $137,850.00 |
To implement the change in program eligibility income, SPBP has reviewed and re-processed any applications received on or after the effective date. The program has also sent letters with enrollment forms to all SPBP cardholders (back to April of 2012) who had either been denied because of excess income, or failed to re-enroll timely and lost the expanded benefit inviting them to re-apply based on the new income limits.
Further, the Program will apply the new income limits as necessary to resolve any appeals from income-related denials.
Contact your case manager or the AIDS Law Project at (215) 587-9377 for more information on applying for SPBP.
Original Story - AIDS Law Project
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2012/2013.This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
The news articles do not by definition indicate the views of the hivhaven.com site.
