One of my proudest accomplishments is helping to successfully pass prescription drug reform in Pennsylvania in my first term. We dramatically expanded both eligibility and benefits for PACE and PACENET, our prescription drug programs for the elderly, and we did this without raising anyone's taxes a dime.

Essentially, we used the purchasing power of the state to get better deals on the drugs we buy. We also restructured the state lottery system, which pays for PACE and PACENET As a result, we added 100,000 people to the eligibility rolls, which amounted to a 33% increase. We also raised the amount of money a married senior couple could earn and still qualify for some benefits, increasing from $22,000 to $31,500 per year.

Another major change we made was to restructure the deductible. Under the old law, the deductible for PACENET was $500 per year. Under the new law, it is $40 per month. Therefore, if you, for example, have $100 per month in prescription drug costs, under the old law you would not have received your first dollar of assistance until you exhausted your $500 deductible some time in June. Under the new law, you will get your first dollar of help in January.

I am extremely proud to say that Pennsylvania now has the single most generous prescription drug program for seniors in the nation. This issue was important to me for many reasons. I take a prescription cholesterol drug every day. I know what lifesavers these miracle drugs are, and I am aware of how expensive they are. Whatever else I can do in my career in government, I will always have a special feeling about what we were able to accomplish for Pennsylvania's senior citizens.

In my second term we were thrown a bit of a curve ball when the federal government passed a new prescription drug program known as Medicare Part D. The federal program is extremely complicated and there are many plans to choose from. The right plan for you depends on circumstances such as your income, what other insurance you may have, and what drugs you take. However, we have been working hard to juxtapose Medicare Part D with PACE and PACENET. Ultimately, we believe an additional 100-150,000 seniors will be eligible for prescription drugs coverage.