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Committee amends accumulator-bill; amendment removes grandfathered plans and drops fiscal impact
Summary
Lawmakers debated House Bill 1216, which would require third-party manufacturer coupons to count toward patients’ deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums. After testimony from insurers, PERS and patient advocates, the committee adopted an amendment excluding grandfathered plans; the amendment reduced PERS’s fiscal note to no financial impact.
The committee took extended testimony on House Bill 1216, which would prohibit co-pay assistance from being excluded from a plan’s deductible or out-of-pocket maximum (commonly called “copay accumulator” or “coupon accumulator” rules). Patient advocates and the American Cancer Society and others urged the committee to require coupon amounts be credited toward patients’ cost-sharing obligations, arguing that otherwise patients with severe illnesses may be left with unaffordable bills.
Insurers and trade groups opposed the measure as originally written and testified on practical and market effects. Witnesses from Blue Cross Blue Shield and Sanford Health Plan explained they do not receive…
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