Full Text of HR0450 97th General Assembly
HR0450ham001 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | AMENDMENT TO HOUSE RESOLUTION 450
| 2 | | AMENDMENT NO. ___. Amend House Resolution 450 by replacing | 3 | | everything after the title with the following: | 4 | | "WHEREAS, In response to increasing prescription drug | 5 | | costs, many employer health plans and employer prescription | 6 | | drug plans have increased enrollee cost-sharing amounts, | 7 | | instituted coinsurance, and created specialty tiers; and
| 8 | | WHEREAS, The increase in price of specialty prescription | 9 | | drugs of 19.6% in 2010 versus a 1.4% increase for traditional | 10 | | drugs and the expected increase of specialty drugs of an | 11 | | additional 27.5% by 2013 creates significant financial | 12 | | pressures on employer health plans, employer prescription drug | 13 | | plans, and individuals who purchase an individual health | 14 | | insurance policy; and | 15 | | WHEREAS, The National Conference of State Legislatures |
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| 1 | | reports that between the years 2000 and 2009, copayments for | 2 | | insured workers have increased for specialty-tier drugs; and
| 3 | | WHEREAS, Medicare has used specialty tiers since 2006 to | 4 | | help control prescription drug costs on behalf of taxpayers; | 5 | | and | 6 | | WHEREAS, Nationally 11% of employers utilize a coinsurance | 7 | | or percentage of the cost of fourth-tier or specialty-tier | 8 | | prescription medications to help control the cost of their | 9 | | prescription drug benefit plans; and | 10 | | WHEREAS, Fourth-tier or specialty-tier medications often | 11 | | include medications for chronic diseases, including certain | 12 | | types of cancer, hemophilia, multiple sclerosis, myositis, | 13 | | neuropathy, arthritis, human immunodeficiency virus, and other | 14 | | diseases and disorders; and
| 15 | | WHEREAS, Specialty-tier benefits and step therapy are | 16 | | strategies offered by employer health plans and employer | 17 | | prescription drug plans to incentivize plan participants to | 18 | | utilize lower cost generics or preferred brand alternatives; | 19 | | and | 20 | | WHEREAS, Coinsurance, cost-sharing, and specialty-tier | 21 | | pricing place significant and onerous financial burdens upon |
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| 1 | | insured individuals with chronic health care issues requiring | 2 | | prescription medication, in many cases leading to decreased | 3 | | adherence or failure to take medications as prescribed, | 4 | | resulting in acute incidents and negative health outcomes; | 5 | | therefore, be it
| 6 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 7 | | NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 8 | | the Department of Insurance is requested to study the cost of | 9 | | specialty drugs and the availability and accessibility of | 10 | | manufacturer discounts and assistance plans to individuals and | 11 | | employers; and be it further | 12 | | RESOLVED, That the study shall (1) determine the impacts | 13 | | of cost sharing, coinsurance, and specialty-tier pricing for | 14 | | prescription medications on individuals and employer health | 15 | | plans; (2) determine the percentage of small employers in | 16 | | Illinois providing prescription drug benefits and the impact of | 17 | | the high cost of specialty drugs on the ability of small | 18 | | employers and individuals to continue such prescription drug | 19 | | benefits; (3) identify and evaluate options for reducing the | 20 | | cost of specialty drugs on individuals and small employers; and | 21 | | be it further | 22 | | RESOLVED, That the Department of Insurance shall report to | 23 | | the General Assembly on the first day of the regular session, |
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| 1 | | 2012, on its findings, conclusions, and recommendations | 2 | | together with drafts of legislation necessary to effectuate its | 3 | | recommendations; and be it further
| 4 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 5 | | presented to the Director of Insurance.".
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