House File 2507
HOUSE FILE
BY COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES
(SUCCESSOR TO HF 2216)
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 5228HV 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 e. Maintain a listing of community=based pharmacy
1 26 assistance programs for additional assistance.
1 27 3. The commissioner of insurance shall provide information
1 28 to pharmacies, physicians, other appropriate health care
1 29 providers, and the general public regarding the program and
1 30 about manufacturer=sponsored prescription drug assistance
1 31 programs.
1 32 4. The commissioner of insurance shall notify
1 33 pharmaceutical manufacturers doing business in this state of
1 34 the prescription drug assistance program, and every
1 35 pharmaceutical manufacturer that does business in this state
2 1 that offers a pharmaceutical assistance program shall notify
2 2 the commissioner of the existence of the program, the
2 3 prescription drugs covered by the program, and all information
2 4 necessary for application for assistance through the program.
2 5 The commissioner of insurance shall provide for ongoing review
2 6 and assessment of pharmaceutical discount or insurance
2 7 programs.
2 8 5. The commissioner of insurance shall monitor and
2 9 evaluate the prescription drug assistance program including
2 10 but not limited to the number of individuals served, the
2 11 length and types of services provided, and any other
2 12 measurable data available to assess the effectiveness of the
2 13 program. The commissioner shall make recommendations for
2 14 improvement of the program and shall identify and make
2 15 recommendations regarding additional strategies to improve
2 16 access to prescription drugs for citizens who have no or
2 17 inadequate health insurance or other resources for the
2 18 purchase of prescription drugs.
2 19 6. The commissioner of insurance shall submit a report
2 20 regarding the effectiveness of the program and including any
2 21 recommendations for improvement of the program to the governor
2 22 and the general assembly on or before December 15, annually.
2 23 Sec. 2. PRESCRIPTION DRUG ASSISTANCE PROGRAM == FUNDING ==
2 24 CONTINGENT APPROPRIATION.
2 25 1. The commissioner of insurance shall seek federal
2 26 funding to establish and administer the prescription drug
2 27 assistance program pursuant to section 505.25.
2 28 2. If federal funding is not received pursuant to
2 29 subsection 1 before October 1, 2004, as certified by the
2 30 commissioner of insurance, there is appropriated from the
2 31 senior living trust fund created in section 249H.4 to the
2 32 insurance division of the department of commerce beginning
2 33 October 1, 2004, and ending June 30, 2005, the following
2 34 amount, or so much thereof as is necessary, to be used for the
2 35 purpose designated:
3 1 For the establishment and administration of the
3 2 prescription drug assistance program pursuant to section
3 3 505.25:
3 4 ................................................. $ 250,000
3 5 EXPLANATION
3 6 This bill directs the commissioner of insurance to
3 7 establish and administer a prescription drug assistance
3 8 program to improve access to prescription drugs for
3 9 individuals and to assist individuals in accessing programs
3 10 offered by pharmaceutical manufacturers that provide free or
3 11 discounted prescription drugs or provide coverage for
3 12 prescription drugs.
3 13 The bill directs the commissioner of insurance to utilize
3 14 computer software programs to: provide a clearinghouse to
3 15 assist individuals in accessing manufacturer=sponsored
3 16 prescription drug assistance programs for which they may be
3 17 eligible; disseminating information about and assisting
3 18 citizens in assessing pharmaceutical discount or insurance
3 19 programs that may be beneficial; serving as a resource for
3 20 pharmaceutical benefit issues; assisting individuals in making
3 21 application to and enrolling in the pharmaceutical assistance
3 22 program most appropriate for the individual; and maintaining a
3 23 listing of community=based pharmacy assistance programs for
3 24 additional assistance.
3 25 The bill directs the commissioner of insurance to provide
3 26 information to pharmacies, physicians, other appropriate
3 27 health care providers, and the general public regarding the
3 28 program and about manufacturer=sponsored prescription drug
3 29 assistance programs.
3 30 The commissioner of insurance is to notify pharmaceutical
3 31 manufacturers doing business in the state of the prescription
3 32 drug assistance program, and every pharmaceutical manufacturer
3 33 that does business in the state that offers a pharmaceutical
3 34 assistance program is required to notify the commissioner of
3 35 the existence of the program, the prescription drugs covered
4 1 by the program, and all information necessary for application
4 2 for assistance through the program. The commissioner of
4 3 insurance is to provide for ongoing review and assessment of
4 4 pharmaceutical discount or insurance programs.
4 5 The bill directs the commissioner of insurance to monitor
4 6 and evaluate the prescription drug assistance program, to make
4 7 recommendations for improvement of the program, and to
4 8 identify and make recommendations regarding additional
4 9 strategies to improve access to prescription drugs for
4 10 individuals who have no or inadequate health insurance or
4 11 other resources for the purchase of prescription drugs.
4 12 The commissioner is to submit an annual report to the
4 13 governor and the general assembly regarding the effectiveness
4 14 of the program and including any recommendations for
4 15 improvement of the program.
4 16 The bill directs the commissioner of insurance to seek
4 17 federal funding to establish and administer the prescription
4 18 drug assistance program. However, if federal funding is not
4 19 received before October 1, 2004, the bill appropriates
4 20 $250,000 from the senior living trust fund to the insurance
4 21 division of the department of commerce beginning October 1,
4 22 2004, and ending June 30, 2005, for the establishment and
4 23 administration of the program.
4 24 LSB 5228HV 80
4 25 pf/sh/8