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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| SENATE BILL |
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| INTRODUCED BY McILHINNEY, WILLIAMS, ORIE, ALLOWAY, TOMLINSON, RAFFERTY, SMUCKER, PILEGGI, ERICKSON, EARLL, YUDICHAK, PIPPY, MENSCH, COSTA, BRUBAKER, M. WHITE, KASUNIC AND BREWSTER, FEBRUARY 3, 2011 |
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| REFERRED TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE, FEBRUARY 3, 2011 |
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| AN ACT |
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1 | Establishing the Keystone Care Prescription Assistance Program |
2 | in the Department of Public Welfare to provide prescription |
3 | drug assistance; and making an appropriation. |
4 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
5 | hereby enacts as follows: |
6 | Section 1. Short title. |
7 | This act shall be known and may be cited as the Keystone Care |
8 | Prescription Assistance Act. |
9 | Section 2. Definitions. |
10 | The following words and phrases when used in this act shall |
11 | have the meanings given to them in this section unless the |
12 | context clearly indicates otherwise: |
13 | "Community-based health care clinic." A nonprofit health |
14 | care center located in this Commonwealth that provides health |
15 | care services to low-income and uninsured individuals, and meets |
16 | either of the following criteria: |
17 | (1) serves a federally designated medically underserved |
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1 | area, a medically underserved population or a health |
2 | professional shortage area; or |
3 | (2) serves a patient population with a majority of that |
4 | population having an income less than 200% of the Federal |
5 | poverty income guidelines, including: |
6 | (i) A federally qualified health center as defined |
7 | in section 1905(l)(2)(B) of the Social Security Act (49 |
8 | Stat. 620, 42 U.S.C. § 1396d(l)(2)(B)) or a federally |
9 | qualified health center look-alike. |
10 | (ii) A rural health clinic as defined in section |
11 | 1861(aa)(2) of the Social Security Act (49 Stat. 620, 42 |
12 | U.S.C. § 1395x(aa)(2)), certified by Medicare. |
13 | (iii) A hospital health clinic. |
14 | (iv) A free or partial-pay health clinic that |
15 | provides services by volunteer and nonvolunteer health |
16 | care providers. |
17 | (v) A nurse-managed health care clinic that is |
18 | managed by advanced practice nurses and is associated |
19 | with a department of nursing, a federally qualified |
20 | health center or an independent nonprofit health or |
21 | social services agency. |
22 | "Department." The Department of Public Welfare of the |
23 | Commonwealth. |
24 | "Low-income adult." An individual who meets all of the |
25 | following: |
26 | (1) Is at least 19 years of age but less than 65 years |
27 | of age. |
28 | (2) Resides in this Commonwealth for at least six |
29 | months. |
30 | (3) Has a household income that is less than 200% of the |
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1 | Federal poverty limit. |
2 | "Prescription drug." A drug requiring a prescription in this |
3 | Commonwealth. |
4 | "Program." The Keystone Care Prescription Assistance Program |
5 | established in section 3, otherwise known as KeyCare. |
6 | "Registry." A listing maintained by the Department of Public |
7 | Welfare of free prescription drugs provided by pharmaceutical |
8 | manufacturers for dispensing at community-based health care |
9 | clinics. |
10 | Section 3. Establishment. |
11 | The Keystone Care Prescription Assistance Program (KeyCare) |
12 | is hereby established within the department to: |
13 | (1) Enable low-income adults without prescription drug |
14 | coverage to be linked to an appropriate free or low-cost |
15 | prescription assistance program. |
16 | (2) Assist low-income adults who lack prescription drug |
17 | coverage in the application process for appropriate free or |
18 | low-cost prescription assistance programs. |
19 | (3) Create a registry of free prescription drugs |
20 | provided by pharmaceutical manufacturers that are made |
21 | available to community-based health care clinics for |
22 | dispensing to individuals receiving health care at that |
23 | clinic. |
24 | Section 4. Administration. |
25 | The department shall do all of the following: |
26 | (1) Establish and maintain an online database of free or |
27 | low-cost prescription assistance programs. |
28 | (2) Assist low-income adults with the application |
29 | process for enrollment in appropriate free or low-cost |
30 | prescription assistance programs. |
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1 | (3) Establish a toll-free telephone number for low- |
2 | income adults to use to contact the department for assistance |
3 | in the program. |
4 | (4) Establish a public awareness campaign to educate |
5 | individuals about the program. |
6 | (5) Establish a registry of free prescription drugs |
7 | provided at no cost by pharmaceutical manufacturers for |
8 | dispensing at community-based health care clinics. |
9 | (6) Establish agreements with pharmaceutical |
10 | manufacturers for prescription drugs that will be provided at |
11 | no cost and may be placed on the registry. |
12 | (7) Create a mechanism for community-based health care |
13 | clinics to access available prescription drugs placed on the |
14 | registry. |
15 | (8) Consult with the State Board of Pharmacy to maximize |
16 | resources. |
17 | Section 5. Limitations on payments by department. |
18 | The program shall not exceed the amount of funds available, |
19 | and any payment shall not constitute an entitlement from the |
20 | Commonwealth or a claim on any other funds of the Commonwealth. |
21 | Section 6. Appropriation. |
22 | The sum of $1,000,000 is hereby appropriated to the |
23 | Department of Public Welfare to carry out the provisions of this |
24 | act. |
25 | Section 20. Effective date. |
26 | This act shall take effect in 90 days. |
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