House File 2216
HOUSE FILE
BY HEATON, FREEMAN, BOGGESS,
RASMUSSEN, LALK, TJEPKES,
SCHICKEL, MANTERNACH, RAECKER,
ROBERTS, JENKINS, GREINER,
RAYHONS, J. R. VAN FOSSEN,
S. OLSON, TYMESON, JONES,
SANDS, JACOBS, ARNOLD, HORBACH,
LUKAN, VAN ENGELENHOVEN, GRANZOW,
HAHN, KRAMER, HUSEMAN, DENNIS,
UPMEYER, HUTTER, and PAULSEN
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to the establishment of a prescription drug
2 assistance program by the commissioner of insurance, and
3 providing for a contingent appropriation.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
5 TLSB 5228YH 80
6 pf/sh/8
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 505.25 PRESCRIPTION DRUG
1 2 ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
1 3 1. The commissioner of insurance shall establish and
1 4 administer a prescription drug assistance program to improve
1 5 access to prescription drugs for individuals who have no or
1 6 inadequate health insurance or other resources for the
1 7 purchase of medically necessary prescription drugs and to
1 8 assist individuals in accessing programs offered by
1 9 pharmaceutical manufacturers that provide free or discounted
1 10 prescription drugs or provide coverage for prescription drugs.
1 11 2. The commissioner of insurance shall utilize computer
1 12 software programs to do all of the following:
1 13 a. Provide a clearinghouse to assist individuals in
1 14 accessing manufacturer=sponsored prescription drug assistance
1 15 programs for which they may be eligible, including listing the
1 16 eligibility requirements for pharmaceutical assistance
1 17 programs offered by manufacturers.
1 18 b. Disseminate information about and assist individuals in
1 19 assessing pharmaceutical discount or insurance programs that
1 20 may be beneficial.
1 21 c. Serve as a resource for pharmaceutical benefit issues.
1 22 d. Assist individuals in making application to and
1 23 enrolling in the pharmaceutical assistance program most
1 24 appropriate for the individual.
1 25 3. The commissioner of insurance shall provide information
1 26 to pharmacies, physicians, other appropriate health care
1 27 providers, and the general public regarding the program and
1 28 about manufacturer=sponsored prescription drug assistance
1 29 programs.
1 30 4. The commissioner of insurance shall notify
1 31 pharmaceutical manufacturers doing business in this state of
1 32 the prescription drug assistance program, and every
1 33 pharmaceutical manufacturer that does business in this state
1 34 that offers a pharmaceutical assistance program shall notify
1 35 the commissioner of the existence of the program, the
2 1 prescription drugs covered by the program, and all information
2 2 necessary for application for assistance through the program.
2 3 The commissioner of insurance shall provide for ongoing review
2 4 and assessment of pharmaceutical discount or insurance
2 5 programs.
2 6 5. The commissioner of insurance shall monitor and
2 7 evaluate the prescription drug assistance program including
2 8 but not limited to the number of individuals served, the
2 9 length and types of services provided, and any other
2 10 measurable data available to assess the effectiveness of the
2 11 program. The commissioner shall make recommendations for
2 12 improvement of the program and shall identify and make
2 13 recommendations regarding additional strategies to improve
2 14 access to prescription drugs for citizens who have no or
2 15 inadequate health insurance or other resources for the
2 16 purchase of prescription drugs.
2 17 6. The commissioner of insurance shall submit a report
2 18 regarding the effectiveness of the program and including any
2 19 recommendations for improvement of the program to the governor
2 20 and the general assembly on or before December 15, annually.
2 21 Sec. 2. PRESCRIPTION DRUG ASSISTANCE PROGRAM == FUNDING ==
2 22 CONTINGENT APPROPRIATION.
2 23 1. The commissioner of insurance shall seek federal
2 24 funding to establish and administer the prescription drug
2 25 assistance program pursuant to section 505.25.
2 26 2. If federal funding is not received pursuant to
2 27 subsection 1 before October 1, 2004, as certified by the
2 28 commissioner of insurance, there is appropriated from the
2 29 senior living trust fund created in section 249H.4 to the
2 30 insurance division of the department of commerce beginning
2 31 October 1, 2004, and ending June 30, 2005, the following
2 32 amount, or so much thereof as is necessary, to be used for the
2 33 purpose designated:
2 34 For the establishment and administration of the
2 35 prescription drug assistance program pursuant to section
3 1 505.25:
3 2 .................................................. $ 190,000
3 3 EXPLANATION
3 4 This bill directs the commissioner of insurance to
3 5 establish and administer a prescription drug assistance
3 6 program to improve access to prescription drugs for
3 7 individuals and to assist individuals in accessing programs
3 8 offered by pharmaceutical manufacturers that provide free or
3 9 discounted prescription drugs or provide coverage for
3 10 prescription drugs.
3 11 The bill directs the commissioner of insurance to utilize
3 12 computer software programs to: provide a clearinghouse to
3 13 assist individuals in accessing manufacturer=sponsored
3 14 prescription drug assistance programs for which they may be
3 15 eligible; disseminating information about and assisting
3 16 citizens in assessing pharmaceutical discount or insurance
3 17 programs that may be beneficial; serving as a resource for
3 18 pharmaceutical benefit issues; and assisting individuals in
3 19 making application to and enrolling in the pharmaceutical
3 20 assistance program most appropriate for the individual.
3 21 The bill directs the commissioner of insurance to provide
3 22 information to pharmacies, physicians, other appropriate
3 23 health care providers, and the general public regarding the
3 24 program and about manufacturer=sponsored prescription drug
3 25 assistance programs.
3 26 The commissioner of insurance is to notify pharmaceutical
3 27 manufacturers doing business in the state of the prescription
3 28 drug assistance program, and every pharmaceutical manufacturer
3 29 that does business in the state that offers a pharmaceutical
3 30 assistance program is required to notify the commissioner of
3 31 the existence of the program, the prescription drugs covered
3 32 by the program, and all information necessary for application
3 33 for assistance through the program. The commissioner of
3 34 insurance is to provide for ongoing review and assessment of
3 35 pharmaceutical discount or insurance programs.
4 1 The bill directs the commissioner of insurance to monitor
4 2 and evaluate the prescription drug assistance program, to make
4 3 recommendations for improvement of the program, and to
4 4 identify and make recommendations regarding additional
4 5 strategies to improve access to prescription drugs for
4 6 individuals who have no or inadequate health insurance or
4 7 other resources for the purchase of prescription drugs.
4 8 The commissioner is to submit an annual report to the
4 9 governor and the general assembly regarding the effectiveness
4 10 of the program and including any recommendations for
4 11 improvement of the program.
4 12 The bill directs the commissioner of insurance to seek
4 13 federal funding to establish and administer the prescription
4 14 drug assistance program. However, if federal funding is not
4 15 received before October 1, 2004, the bill appropriates
4 16 $190,000 from the senior living trust fund to the insurance
4 17 division of the department of commerce beginning October 1,
4 18 2004, and ending June 30, 2005, for the establishment and
4 19 administration of the program.
4 20 LSB 5228YH 80
4 21 pf/sh/8.1