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2003 SESSION

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SB 1341 Prescription assistance mechanisms.

Introduced by: H. Russell Potts, Jr. | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles

SUMMARY AS PASSED: (all summaries)

Prescription assistance mechanisms. Creates a special, nonreverting fund to be known as the Healthy Lives Prescription Fund, under the auspices of the Secretary of Health and Human Resources, to accept appropriations, donations, grants, and in-kind contributions to develop and implement programs that will enhance current prescription programs for citizens of the Commonwealth who are without insurance or the ability to pay for prescription drugs and to develop innovative programs to make such prescription drugs more available. The Commissioner of Health must create links from the Department of Health's website to the Department for the Aging's website and its affiliated sites pertaining to pharmaceutical assistance programs and pharmaceutical discount purchasing cards. The Commisioner of the Department for the Aging must cooperate with the Commissioner of Health by ensuring that such information is available on the Department for the Aging's website. The Commissioner of Health must also ensure that all clinical sites administered by local health Departments are provided with adequate information concerning the services of the Virginia Department for the Aging, including, but notlimited to, the toll-free telephone number and website information on pharmaceutical assistance programs and pharmaceutical discount purchasing cards. Both commissioners must coordinate the dissemination of information to the public regarding any pharmaceutical discount purchasing card programs while maintaining a neutral posture regarding such programs. The Commissioner of Health must establish a toll-free number to be administered by the Department of Health that will provide recorded information concerning services provided by the Department for the Aging, the Virginia Area Agencies on Aging, and other appropriate organizations for senior citizens. A second enactment clause requires the Joint Commission on Health Care or any successor in interest thereof to prepare a plan to establish the Health Lives Prescription Assistance Program to provide prescription drug benefits for low-income senior citizens and persons with disabilities, which must include consideration of the resources of both the public and private sectors. The plan will be prepared in cooperation with the Secretary of Health and Human Resources, the Virginia Health Care Foundation, pharmaceutical manufacturers, health care provider organizations, advocacy groups, and other interested parties. In preparing the plan, the Joint Commission on Health Care must review and incorporate, to the maximum extent possible, the conclusions of the Joint Commission on Prescription Drug Assistance. The plan must coordinate state, federal and private programs providing prescription assistance, including any programs the federal government may implement. The plan will be reported to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committee on Appropriations, the Senate Committee on Finance, the House Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions, and the Senate Committee on Education and Health by October 15, 2003. This bill is identical to HB 2225 (Cline).


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