The state of New Jersey offers two pharmaceutical assistance programs designed to help seniors with the cost of their prescription drugs. One’s income level determines if they are eligible for the Senior Gold program or the PAAD program.
The Senior Gold Prescription Discount Program, or Senior Gold for short, helps low- to middle-income New Jersey seniors with the cost of their prescription drugs by paying 50% of their out-of-pocket costs.
The New Jersey Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled Program, or PAAD for short, is designed for those seniors with less income than the Senior Gold program. In addition to helping the elderly with the cost of their medications, PAAD provides assistance with monthly premiums for Medicare Part D, which is prescription drug coverage through Medicare.
Both programs are designed to work collaboratively with a Medicare Part D plan. Therefore, enrollment in a Part D plan is a requirement. Part D serves as the primary payer and Senior Gold or PAAD as the secondary payer.
1 in 5 U.S. seniors have skipped their medications or not filled prescriptions because of the cost of doing so.
To be eligible for Senior Gold in 2022, residents of New Jersey must:
To be eligible for PAAD in 2022, residents of New Jersey must:
After a $15 co-pay, the Senior Gold Program pays for 50% of the remaining cost of Senior Gold covered drugs. Once a single participant reaches $2,000 in out-of-pocket costs -- $3,000 for married couples -- Senior Gold participants only pay the $15 co-pay for the rest of the eligibility period.
This program pays the monthly premium for certain standard basic Medicare Part D plans -- plans must have a premium that is at or below the regional benchmark. PAAD also pays the cost of prescription medications, minus the $5 co-pay for covered generic drugs and $7 for covered brand name drugs. There are no further costs to participate beyond the co-payments.
Seniors can apply for both Senior Gold and PAAD online by filling out the NJSave application.
To learn more, visit the Senior Gold webpage and the PAAD webpage, or call their toll free number at (800) 792-9745. Alternatively, one can visit their local NJ Area Agency on Aging to learn more.
New Jersey seniors who are eligible for these programs might also be eligible for adult day care, respite care or in-home support.