PRINTER'S NO. 1825
No. 1500 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY WALKO, YUDICHAK, HARHAI, WANSACZ, THOMAS, BELARDI,
BEBKO-JONES, ROBINSON, McILHATTAN, GEORGE, BELFANTI, TIGUE,
MELIO, CALTAGIRONE, SHANER, JOSEPHS, LAUGHLIN, CAPPABIANCA,
HENNESSEY, McCALL, SURRA, MUNDY, WOJNAROSKI, HORSEY, STABACK,
YOUNGBLOOD, DeWEESE, BROWNE, GRUCELA, PETRARCA, SOLOBAY,
GORDNER, WASHINGTON, SCRIMENTI, CURRY, LEVDANSKY, FRANKEL,
STURLA, CORRIGAN AND C. WILLIAMS, MAY 3, 2001
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, MAY 3, 2001
AN ACT
1 Authorizing pharmaceutical service expansion for certain medical
2 assistance recipients.
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby enacts as follows:
5 Section 1. Pharmaceutical service expansion for certain medical
6 assistance recipients.
7 (a) Waiver request to be submitted.--
8 (1) The Department of Public Welfare shall submit to the
9 Health Care Financing Administration a waiver request to
10 include:
11 (i) Medicare-covered individuals with household
12 incomes above 300% of the Federal poverty level with no
13 health insurance policy covering prescription drugs; and
14 (ii) other individuals with household incomes up to
15 300% of the Federal poverty level with no health
1 insurance policy covering prescription drugs,
2 as eligible for medical assistance in this Commonwealth with
3 such coverage to be limited to a pharmaceutical services
4 subsidy.
5 (2) The individuals who shall be included within the
6 eligibility category shall be limited to receipt of a subsidy
7 for prescription drugs equal to the average rebate paid to
8 the medical assistance program by pharmaceutical
9 manufacturers.
10 (b) Negotiation required.--If the waiver request is not
11 approved by the Health Care Financing Administration, the
12 Secretary of Public Welfare shall negotiate with the Health Care
13 Financing Administration, the broadest possible expanded medical
14 assistance prescription drug eligibility coverage.
15 (c) Annual enrollment fee scale.--The department shall
16 establish an annual enrollment fee scale for eligibility under
17 this category of limited pharmaceutical services.
18 (d) Contingency.--Expansion of coverage and payment of
19 subsidies to eligible individuals shall be contingent on Federal
20 approval of the waiver request and shall be implemented
21 administratively as soon as possible after approval is granted.
22 Section 2. Effective date.
23 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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