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Pennsylvania House of Representatives
04/23/2024 05:34 AM
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=H&SPick=20210&cosponId=33761
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House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: December 23, 2020 05:32 PM
From: Representative Margo L. Davidson
To: All House members
Subject: Lloyd's Law - Prohibiting Discrimination by Insurers
 
The opioid crisis has plagued our Commonwealth for far too long. It is an epidemic that has touched each of us in some way and is wreaking havoc on our communities and the lives of loved ones.  Sharon White, a treasured constituent of mine and devoted mother of a child who suffered from addiction, is battling that stigma now.

Last year, Sharon obtained a prescription for the life-saving medication naloxone in case she needed it to revive her son, Lloyd.  Tragically, Lloyd, a promising, intelligent, and loving young man, lost his battle with addiction. 

Subsequently, Sharon later applied for life insurance for herself but was denied coverage because she had naloxone in her prescription profile. This discrimination took place because Sharon had accessed a life-saving prescription, not for herself, but for her son.

By denying insurance coverage to the friends and family of those suffering with addiction, it effectively discourages people from obtaining naloxone, which has been proven to save tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians from dying of opioid overdoses. Naloxone is not self administered but accessed by families, close friends, counselors and medical professionals in their effort to combat substance abuse disorders among their loved ones or clients. My legislation would prohibit an insurer from denying coverage to a person who has an opioid reversal agent in their prescription profile.

As we move forward with finding ways to combat the opioid epidemic, we need to be sure we are supporting the friends and family of those in the recovery community.  As leaders in public health policy, I encourage you to join me in taking a step toward  ending the stigma and discrimination surrounding substance abuse disorders.


Introduced as HB162