In the near future, I will introduce legislation to increase the premium assistance benefit available to eligible PSERS retirees to help reduce their out-of-pocket costs for medical premiums. 

Premium Assistance is a state-funded benefit offered through PSERS that helps eligible retirees pay for health coverage through the Health Options Program or another Commonwealth public school employer or district health plan. The Premium Assistance Program provides a health insurance premium subsidy of up to $100 per month for those retirees who qualify. According to PSERS, there were approximately 91,000 participants in this program as of June 30, 2025.

The last time the Premium Assistance benefit was increased was over 25 years ago – on May 17, 2001, when Governor Tom Ridge signed Act 9 of 2001 that made several updates to our state pension programs, including increasing the Premium Assistance benefit from $55 per month to $100 per month. According to inflation and cost statistics provided by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, that $100 benefit is now only worth $53 based on today’s costs. 

As the cost of everything continues to skyrocket, it is imperative that the legislature continues to support our retired teachers by increasing the Premium Assistance benefit. My legislation would increase the monthly Premium Assistance benefit from $100 to $200. 

Please join me in supporting our retired teachers by increasing the monthly benefit through the PSERS Premium Assistance Program.