Heated hearing on copay accumulators leaves bill undecided as stakeholders clash over patient access and premiums

Summary

Senate Bill 17, which would require insurers to count third‑party copay assistance toward deductibles and out‑of‑pocket maximums, drew extensive testimony from patient advocates, insurers, PBMs and hospitals. The committee did not take executive session on the bill and deferred further action.

The Senate Health and Human Services Committee heard hours of testimony on Senate Bill 17, a proposal to prevent insurers from using copay accumulator and maximizer programs that exclude third‑party copay assistance from a patient’s deductible or out‑of‑pocket maximum.

Sponsor Sen. Dan Innes framed the bill as an affordability measure for patients with high cost specialty drugs, saying copay assistance "isn't a discount or coupon nor is it a way to steer patients away from or toward branded medications." He told the committee an estimated 310,000 New Hampshire patients could be affected if the change is enacted, and said the bill would require that patient assistance count toward cost‑sharing so patients are not exposed to unexpected, large costs.

Patient advocates and disease‑specific groups urged passage. Susanna von Ettingen, the New…

Heated hearing on copay accumulators leaves bill undecided as stakeholders clash over patient access and premiums

Summary

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