THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	93
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

discouraging THE PRACTICE OF CREATING AND USING specialty tiers FOR PRESCRIPTION DRUGS IN HEALTH PLANS.

 

 

     WHEREAS, Hawaii has long been a leader in ensuring affordable access to health care for its citizens; and

 

     WHEREAS, health plans across the country have begun to create specialty tiers for certain prescription drugs that require patients to pay either a much higher copayment or a percentage of the cost of the drug instead of a copayment; and

 

     WHEREAS, these specialty drugs are typically new, infusible, or injectible biologics or plasma-derived therapies produced in lesser quantities; and

 

     WHEREAS, many of these specialty drugs are used to treat conditions such as cancer; autoimmune conditions, such as Crohn's diseases, lupus, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, myositis, scleroderma, and rheumatoid arthritis; hemophilia and other bleeding disorders; hepatitis; primary and secondary immune deficiencies; neuropathy; and transplant patients; and

 

     WHEREAS, high out-of-pocket costs for specialty drugs could preclude patients from complying with the treatment protocols prescribed by their doctors and force patients to choose between paying for basic living expenses and taking their medications; and

 

     WHEREAS, the health of patients who are unable to afford to take the specialty medicines prescribed by their doctors will further deteriorate, often necessitating more expensive emergency care or forcing them to go on disability, resulting in additional costs to the State; and

 

     WHEREAS, the practice of specialty tiers violates the basic principle of insurance whereby individuals and groups purchase health insurance plans so that they are protected from the risk of needing to pay for expensive medical treatments; and

 

     WHEREAS, specialty tiers create a structure where those who are sickest pay more and those who are healthy pay less; and

 

     WHEREAS, specialty tiers will not keep health care costs down because there are no alternatives to these medications and specialty tiers only serve as a barrier to treatment for chronically ill patients; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-sixth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2011, the House of Representatives concurring, that the practice of creating and using specialty tiers for prescription drugs in health plans is discouraged and should be avoided and eliminated wherever possible; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Director of Health, Director of Human Services, Director of Labor and Industrial Relations, and Insurance Commissioner, who, in turn, is requested to transmit copies to each insurer in the State that issues health insurance policies.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title: 

Insurance; Health Plans; Creation of Specialty Tiers; Prescription Drugs