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PA Bulletin, Doc. No. 07-1940

NOTICES

Mandated Benefits

[37 Pa.B. 5695]
[Saturday, October 20, 2007]

   Section 9 of the act of July 17, 2003 (P. L. 31, No. 14) (Act 14) requires that the Health Care Cost Containment Council review proposed mandated health benefits on request of the executive and legislative branches of government. Senator Donald White, Chairperson of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee, has requested that the Council review Senate Bill 260, Printer's Number 298 (Rhoades). Senate Bill 260 would amend the Unfair Insurance Practices Act to deem it unfair for any health insurer to require insureds to obtain drugs from a mail-order pharmacy as a condition of obtaining the payment for the prescription drugs.

   Initial notification of request for information and documentation was published in the 37 Pa.B. 4410 (August 4, 2007), with documentation due to the Council by October 4, 2007.

   Following is a list of the documentation received. This information is available for public review and comment at the Council offices during regular business hours (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.) until November 19, 2007. Additional comments on this information must be received by this time. Council offices are located at 225 Market Street, Suite 400, Harrisburg, PA 17101. Send comments to Flossie Wolf at previous address.

Submissions for Senate Bill 260

   1.  Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania

   *  Letter in opposition to Senate Bill 260.

   *  Statement addressing Section 9 requirements.

   *  November 2005 letter from Governor's Office to House Insurance Committee expressing opposition to prior legislation (House Bill 814).

   2.  CVS Caremark Corporation

   *  Letter and comments in opposition to Senate Bill 260.

   *  Research studies and government analyses about mail-order pharmacy and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).

   3.  Express Scripts

   *  Letter and comments in opposition to Senate Bill 260.

   *  Statement addressing Section 9 requirements.

   *  Study on mail-order pharmacy benefits.

   4.  Highmark

   *  Statement addressing Section 9 requirements.

   *  Research studies, government analyses, fact sheets and news stories about prescription drug costs and mail-order pharmacy.

   5.  Independence Blue Cross

   *  Letter and comments in opposition to Senate Bill 260.

   6.  Insurance Federation of Pennsylvania

   *  Letter and comments in opposition to Senate Bill 260.

   *  Testimony on prior legislation (House Bill 1470--introduced May 2003) and Michigan study on prescription drug costs.

   7.  Medco

   *  Letter and comments in opposition to Senate Bill 260.

   8.  National Community Pharmacists Association

   *  Letter in support of Senate Bill 260.

   *  Research studies on mail-order pharmacy and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).

   9.  Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry

   *  Letter and comments in opposition to Senate Bill 260.

   10.  Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association

   *  Research studies and press information about mail-order pharmacy and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).

   11.  Philadelphia Association of Retail Druggists

   *  Letter in support of Senate Bill 260.

   *  Research study on pharmacy benefit management and a list of 40 common prescription drugs and their mail-order and community pharmacy costs.

   12.  Value Drug Company

   *  Letter in support of Senate Bill 260.

   *  Research studies on mail-order pharmacy.

MARC P. VOLAVKA,   
Executive Director

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 07-1940. Filed for public inspection October 19, 2007, 9:00 a.m.]


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