WEST virginia legislature
2021 regular session
Introduced
House Bill 2708
By Delegates Rohrbach, Fleischauer and Griffith
[Introduced February 23, 2021; Referred to the Committee on Health and Human Resources then Finance]
A BILL to amend and reenact §5-16-7g of the Code of West Virginia,1931, as amended, and to amend and reenact §33-59-1 of said code, all relating generally to required health insurance coverage for diabetics; providing cost sharing in prescription drugs used to diabetes; defining terms; requiring insurance coverage for prescription insulin drugs; providing for coverage pursuant to the West Virginia Public Employees Insurance Act.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
CHAPTER 5. GENERAL POWERS AND AUTHORITY OF THE GOVERNOR, SECRETARY OF STATE, AND ATTORNEY GENERAL; BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS; MISCELLANEOUS AGENCIES, COMMISSIONS, OFFICES, PROGRAMS, ETC.
ARTICLE 16. WEST VIRGINIA PUBLIC EMPLOYEES INSURANCE ACT.
§5-16-7g. Coverage for prescription insulin drugs.
(a) A policy, plan, or
contract that is issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2020 2021,
shall provide coverage for prescription insulin drugs pursuant to this section.
(b) For the purposes of this subdivision,
(1) “Noninsulin drug” means a drug, including, but not limited to, a glucagon drug, glucose tablet or glucose gel, that does not contain insulin and is approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration to treat diabetes.
(2) “Prescription insulin drug” means a prescription drug that contains insulin and is used to treat diabetes, and includes at least one type of insulin in all of the following categories:
(1) (A) Rapid-acting;
(2) (B) Short-acting;
(3) (C) Intermediate-acting;
(4) (D) Long-acting;
(5) (E) Pre-mixed insulin products;
(6) (F) Pre-mixed insulin/GLP-1 RA products; and
(7) (G) Concentrated human regular insulin; and
(c) Cost sharing for a 30-day
supply of a covered prescription insulin drug shall not exceed $100 $25
for a 30-day supply of a covered prescription insulin, regardless of the
quantity or type of prescription insulin used to fill the covered person’s
prescription needs.
(d) Cost sharing for a 30-day supply of a covered prescription noninsulin drug shall not exceed $25 for a 30-day supply of a noninsulin drug, regardless of the quantity or type of noninsulin drug to fill the covered person’s prescription needs.
(d) (e) Nothing in this section prevents the
agency from reducing a covered person’s cost sharing by an amount greater than
the amount specified in this subsection.
(e) (f) No contract between the agency or its
pharmacy benefits manager and a pharmacy or its contracting agent shall contain
a provision (i) authorizing the agency’s pharmacy benefits manager or the
pharmacy to charge, (ii) requiring the pharmacy to collect, or (iii) requiring
a covered person to make a cost-sharing payment for a covered prescription insulin
drug and a noninsulin drug in an amount
that exceeds the amount of the cost-sharing payment for the covered
prescription insulin drug and a noninsulin
drug established
by the agency as provided in subsection (c) of this section.
(f) (g) The agency shall provide coverage for the
following equipment and supplies for the treatment or management of diabetes
for both insulin-dependent and noninsulin-dependent persons with diabetes and
those with gestational diabetes: Blood glucose monitors, monitor supplies,
insulin, injection aids, syringes, insulin infusion devices, pharmacological
agents for controlling blood sugar, and orthotics. Cost sharing shall not
exceed $100 for a 30-day supply.
(g) (h) The agency shall provide coverage for
diabetes self-management education to ensure that persons with diabetes are
educated as to the proper self-management and treatment of their diabetes,
including information on proper diets. Coverage for self-management education
and education relating to diet shall be
provided by a health care practitioner who has been appropriately trained as
provided in §33-53-1(k) §33-59-1(k) of this code.
(h) (i) The education may be provided by a health
care practitioner as part of an office visit for diabetes diagnosis or
treatment, or by a licensed pharmacist for instructing and monitoring a patient
regarding the proper use of covered equipment, supplies, and medications, or by
a certified diabetes educator or registered dietitian.
(i) (j) A pharmacy benefits manager, a health
plan, or any other third party that reimburses a pharmacy for drugs or services
shall not reimburse a pharmacy at a lower rate and shall not assess any fee,
charge-back, or adjustment upon a pharmacy on the basis that a covered person’s
costs sharing is being impacted.
CHAPTER 33. INSURANCE.
ARTICLE 59. Required coverage for Health INSURANCE.
§33-59-1. Cost sharing in prescription insulin drugs.
(a) Findings. –
(1) It is estimated that over 240,000 West Virginians are diagnosed and living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes and another 65,000 are undiagnosed;
(2) Every West Virginian with type 1 diabetes and many with type 2 diabetes rely on daily doses of insulin to survive;
(3) The annual medical cost related to diabetes in West Virginia is estimated at $2.5 billion annually;
(4) Persons diagnosed with diabetes will incur medical costs approximately 2.3 times higher than persons without diabetes;
(5) The cost of insulin has increased astronomically, especially the cost of insurance copayments, which can exceed $600 per month. Similar increases in the cost of diabetic equipment and supplies, and insurance premiums have resulted in out-of-pocket costs for many West Virginia diabetics in excess of $1,000 per month;
(6) National reports indicate as many as one in four type 1 diabetics underuse, or ration, insulin due to these increased costs. Rationing insulin has resulted in nerve damage, diabetic comas, amputation, kidney damage, and even death; and
(7) It is important to enact policies to reduce the costs for West Virginians with diabetes to obtain life-saving and life-sustaining insulin.
(b) As used in this section:
(1) “Cost-sharing payment” means the total amount a covered person is required to pay at the point of sale in order to receive a prescription drug that is covered under the covered person’s health plan.
(2) “Covered person” means a policyholder, subscriber, participant, or other individual covered by a health plan.
(3) “Health plan” means any health benefit plan, as defined in §33-16-1a(h) of this code, that provides coverage for a prescription insulin drug.
(4) “Noninsulin drug” means a drug, including, but not limited to, a glucagon drug, glucose tablet or glucose gel, that does not contain insulin and is approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration to treat diabetes.
(4) (5) “Pharmacy benefits manager” means an
entity that engages in the administration or management of prescription drug
benefits provided by an insurer for the benefit of its covered persons.
(5) (6) “Prescription insulin drug” means a
prescription drug that contains insulin and is used to treat diabetes.
(c) Each health plan shall cover at least one type of insulin in all the following categories:
(1) Rapid-acting;
(2) Short-acting;
(3) Intermediate-acting;
(4) Long-acting;
(5) Pre-mixed insulin products;
(6) Pre-mixed insulin/GLP-1 RA products; and
(7) Concentrated human regular insulin.
(d) Notwithstanding the
provisions of §33-1-1 et seq. of this code, an insurer subject to
§33-15-1 et seq., §33-16-1 et seq., §33-24-1 et seq.,
§33-25-1 et seq., and §33-25A-1 et seq. of this code which issues
or renews a health insurance policy on or after July 1, 2020, shall provide
coverage for prescription insulin drugs pursuant to this section.
(e) Cost sharing for a
30-day supply of a covered prescription insulin drug shall not exceed $100
$25 for a 30-day supply of a covered prescription insulin, regardless of
the quantity or type of prescription insulin drug used to fill the
covered person’s prescription needs.
(f) Cost sharing for a 30-day supply of a covered prescription noninsulin drug shall not exceed $25 for a 30-day supply of a noninsulin drug, regardless of the quantity or type of noninsulin drug to fill the covered person’s prescription needs.
(f) (g) Nothing in this section prevents an
insurer from reducing a covered person’s cost sharing to an amount less than
the amount specified in subsection (e) of this section.
(g) (h) No
contract between an insurer subject to §33-15-1 et seq., §33-16-1 et
seq., §33-24-1 et seq., §33-25-1 et seq., and §33-25A-1 of
this code or its pharmacy benefits manager and a pharmacy or its contracting
agent shall contain a provision: (i) Authorizing the insurer’s pharmacy
benefits manager or the pharmacy to charge; (ii) requiring the pharmacy to
collect; or (iii) requiring a covered person to make a cost-sharing payment for
a covered prescription insulin drug in an amount that exceeds the amount of the
cost-sharing payment for the covered prescription insulin drug established by
the insurer pursuant to subsection (e) of this code.
(h) (i) An insurer subject to §33-15-1 et seq.,
§33-16-1 et seq., §33-24-1 et seq., §33-25-1 et seq., and
§33-25A-1 of this code shall provide coverage for the following equipment and
supplies for the treatment and/or management of diabetes for both
insulin-dependent and noninsulin-dependent persons with diabetes and those with
gestational diabetes: Blood glucose
monitors, monitor supplies, insulin, injection aids, syringes, insulin infusion
devices, pharmacological agents for controlling blood sugar, and orthotics. Cost
sharing shall not exceed $100 for
a 30-day supply.
(i) (j) An insurer subject to §33-15-1 et seq.,
§33-16-1 et seq., §33-24-1 et seq., §33-25-1 et seq., and
§33-25A-1 of this code shall include coverage for diabetes self-management
education to ensure that persons with diabetes are educated as to the proper
self-management and treatment of their diabetes, including information on
proper diets.
(j) (k) All health care plans must offer an
appeals process for persons who are not able to take one or more of the offered
prescription insulin drugs and a noninsulin drug. noted in subsection
(c) of this code. The appeals process shall be provided to covered persons
in writing and afford covered persons and their health care providers a
meaningful opportunity to participate with covered persons health care
providers.
(k) (l) Diabetes self-management education shall
be provided by a health care practitioner who has been appropriately trained.
The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Resources shall promulgate
legislative rules to implement training requirements and procedures necessary
to fulfill provisions of this subsection. Provided, That any
rules promulgated by the secretary shall be done after consultation with the
Coalition for Diabetes Management, as established in §16-5Z-1 et
seq. of this code.
(l) (m) A pharmacy benefits manager, a health
plan, or any other third party that reimburses a pharmacy for drugs or services
shall not reimburse a pharmacy at a lower rate and shall not assess any fee,
charge-back, or adjustment upon a pharmacy on the basis that a covered person’s
costs sharing is being impacted.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to reduce drug costs for diabetics.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.