Ark Founder and CEO Rebecca Yates reported Friday from the Utah State Capitol that S.B. 184 – Prescription Cost Amendments, was assigned to the Business and Labor committee in the house. That means it’s crucial to reach out to your representative to ask them to please support this important legislation.
Under current law, insurance companies are permitted to use copay accumulator adjustment policies to exclude copay payments/assistance provided by non-profits and pharmaceutical companies, so that these payments do not count towards a patient’s deductible or out-of-pocket-maximum. This leads to skyrocketing medical bills, and in some cases, patients not being able to afford needed medication.
Yates added, “Trying to address the cost of pharmaceuticals by adding financial burdens to our disabled communities is not only illogical, but also immoral. If they want to fix the cost of care and medications, they need to do it directly, not by trying to recoup it on the backs of those already burdened with poor health.”
Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, is the chief sponsor of S.B. 184 – Prescription Cost Amendments, which would require an insurer to calculate any amounts paid on behalf of an individual towards the individual’s cost sharing requirement, and would require a pharmacy benefit manager to calculate any amounts paid on behalf of an individual towards the individual’s cost sharing requirement.
Unfortunately, the bill does have opponents who are lobbying against it. S.B. 184 will likely be voted on by Tuesday, 2/28, so it’s important to reach out now to one of the representatives on the Business and Labor Committee:
https://www.ark-ins.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Utah-All-CoPays.png6301200Doug Burtonhttps://www.ark-ins.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ark-logo@2x.pngDoug Burton2023-02-26 15:35:262023-02-26 22:02:13Critical Moment for Utahns With Chronic Illnesses: S.B. 184, the Legislation Needed to Stop Unfair Copay Accumulator Policies, Heads to the Business and Labor Committee
If you were eligible for and enrolled in Medicaid as part of the “Families First Coronavirus Response Act” (FFCRA), you may soon receive–or have already received– notification of a discontinuation of coverage. Ark Insurance is here to help you understand those changes and make sure that you and your family will continue to receive healthcare coverage.
Congress passed legislation during the COVID-19 pandemic to guarantee that people would have access to health insurance and other benefits while the nation was in a state of public health emergency (PHE). This provided continuous coverage for those enrolled in the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Medicaid, even if their eligibility changed. Continuous Medicaid coverage will end on March 31, 2023, and individuals who have received Medicaid coverage will go through state-run procedures to reevaluate their eligibility. It is known as “Medicaid Unwinding” to describe this procedure. Who is affected by the upcoming “Medicaid Unwinding”? It is anticipated that 15 million people will lose their Medicaid coverage as states continue to review the eligibility of Medicaid members, including about 8 million who are deemed ineligible and about 7 million due to administrative churn. Approximately 2.7 million of these people will be eligible for employer-sponsored health plans.
If you’ve received a notice that your Medicaid coverage will be discontinued, be sure to reach out to Ark Insurance Solutions right away. At Ark Insurance Solutions, we’ll help you find affordable health insurance plans to make sure you stay covered.
Navigating the complex world of health insurance can be daunting. The Ark Insurance Solutions team has the skill and experience to guide you. We’ll help you compare health plans to make the best decision based on your unique circumstances and budget. Give us a call at 801-901-7800 or click here to schedule an appointment with us.
https://www.ark-ins.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/MedicaidRolloff2.png6301200Rebecca Yateshttps://www.ark-ins.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ark-logo@2x.pngRebecca Yates2023-02-15 23:23:232023-02-16 11:50:26Have You Received A Notice That You Will Be Losing Medicaid?
Today at the Utah State Capitol, Ark Founder and CEO Rebecca Yates testified before the Utah Senate Business and Labor Committee about the negative impacts of copay accumulator adjustment policies. These policies can lead to skyrocketing medical bills, and in some cases, patients not being able to afford needed medication. The use of these policies often result in copay assistance provided by non-profits and pharmaceutical companies not counting towards a patient’s deductible or out-of-pocket-maximum.
In her testimony, Yates told the Senate Committee:
“Section 1557 in the ACA describes that you are not allowed by benefit design to discriminate on the basis of disability. You’ve heard today (in previous testimony) that this does directly discriminate against people that are disabled. It is discouraging their treatments and therefore is against ACA Law. It is also not in compliance with the actual federal register release which is what they’re using to implement it. Under 45 CFR 156.130, it actually does say that they are not allowed to implement a copay accumulator if there is not a generic available. You’ve heard testimony today that there are not generics available for this. They are already in violation of federal law in multiple ways, and we need to stop it at the state level.”
Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, is the chief sponsor of S.B. 184 – Prescription Cost Amendments, which would require an insurer to calculate any amounts paid on behalf of an individual towards the individual’s cost sharing requirement, and would require a pharmacy benefit manager to calculate any amounts paid on behalf of an individual towards the individual’s cost sharing requirement.
The Senate Committee gave the bill a favorable recommendation by unanimous vote today. The bill will now proceed to the full Senate.
https://www.ark-ins.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/UT-Sentate-RYates-23-02-10.png6751200Doug Burtonhttps://www.ark-ins.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ark-logo@2x.pngDoug Burton2023-02-10 21:52:162023-02-10 22:35:48Ark’s Rebecca Yates Testified Today Before Utah Senate Committee About the Negative Impact of Copay Accumulator Adjustment Policies
Critical Moment for Utahns With Chronic Illnesses: S.B. 184, the Legislation Needed to Stop Unfair Copay Accumulator Policies, Heads to the Business and Labor Committee
/by Doug BurtonArk Founder and CEO Rebecca Yates reported Friday from the Utah State Capitol that S.B. 184 – Prescription Cost Amendments, was assigned to the Business and Labor committee in the house. That means it’s crucial to reach out to your representative to ask them to please support this important legislation.
Under current law, insurance companies are permitted to use copay accumulator adjustment policies to exclude copay payments/assistance provided by non-profits and pharmaceutical companies, so that these payments do not count towards a patient’s deductible or out-of-pocket-maximum. This leads to skyrocketing medical bills, and in some cases, patients not being able to afford needed medication.
Yates added, “Trying to address the cost of pharmaceuticals by adding financial burdens to our disabled communities is not only illogical, but also immoral. If they want to fix the cost of care and medications, they need to do it directly, not by trying to recoup it on the backs of those already burdened with poor health.”
Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, is the chief sponsor of S.B. 184 – Prescription Cost Amendments, which would require an insurer to calculate any amounts paid on behalf of an individual towards the individual’s cost sharing requirement, and would require a pharmacy benefit manager to calculate any amounts paid on behalf of an individual towards the individual’s cost sharing requirement.
Unfortunately, the bill does have opponents who are lobbying against it. S.B. 184 will likely be voted on by Tuesday, 2/28, so it’s important to reach out now to one of the representatives on the Business and Labor Committee:
Rep. A. Cory Maloy (R), Chair (Lehi)
corymaloy@le.utah.gov
801-477-0019
Rep. Stephen L. Whyte (R), Vice Chair (Mapleton)
swhyte@le.utah.gov
385-271-8435
Rep. Carl R. Albrecht (R) (Richfield)
carlalbrecht@le.utah.gov
435-979-6578
Rep. Brady Brammer (R) (Pleasant Grove)
bbrammer@le.utah.gov
801-538-1029
Rep. Walt Brooks (R) (St. George)
wbrooks@le.utah.gov
435-817-3530
Rep. Jefferson S. Burton (R) (Spanish Fork)
jburton@le.utah.gov
385-225-0575
Rep. James A. Dunnigan (R)
jdunnigan@le.utah.gov
801-538-1029
Rep. Jon Hawkins (R) (Pleasant Grove)
jhawkins@le.utah.gov
801-368-2534
Rep. Brian S. King (D) (Salt Lake City)
briansking@le.utah.gov
801-560-0769
Rep. Ashlee Matthews (D) (SLC)
amatthews@le.utah.gov
385-264-2024
Rep. Calvin R. Musselman (R) (West Haven)
cmusselman@le.utah.gov
801-941-6188
Rep. Thomas W. Peterson (R) (Brigham City)
tpeterson@le.utah.gov
435-720-3516
Rep. Mike Schultz (R) (Hooper)
mikeschultz@le.utah.gov
801-859-7713
Rep. Norman K Thurston (R) (Provo)
normthurston@le.utah.gov
801-477-5348
Rep. Ryan D. Wilcox (R) (North Ogden)
ryanwilcox@le.utah.gov
385-600-3306
Additional info
Below is an excellent op-ed authored by Jami Curtis that was included in Utah Policy today on this topic.
https://utahpolicy.com/opinion/66635-guest-opinion-end-predatory-copay-accumulator-programs-to-help-people-like-me
Have You Received A Notice That You Will Be Losing Medicaid?
/by Rebecca YatesIf you were eligible for and enrolled in Medicaid as part of the “Families First Coronavirus Response Act” (FFCRA), you may soon receive–or have already received– notification of a discontinuation of coverage. Ark Insurance is here to help you understand those changes and make sure that you and your family will continue to receive healthcare coverage.
Congress passed legislation during the COVID-19 pandemic to guarantee that people would have access to health insurance and other benefits while the nation was in a state of public health emergency (PHE). This provided continuous coverage for those enrolled in the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and Medicaid, even if their eligibility changed. Continuous Medicaid coverage will end on March 31, 2023, and individuals who have received Medicaid coverage will go through state-run procedures to reevaluate their eligibility. It is known as “Medicaid Unwinding” to describe this procedure. Who is affected by the upcoming “Medicaid Unwinding”? It is anticipated that 15 million people will lose their Medicaid coverage as states continue to review the eligibility of Medicaid members, including about 8 million who are deemed ineligible and about 7 million due to administrative churn. Approximately 2.7 million of these people will be eligible for employer-sponsored health plans.
If you’ve received a notice that your Medicaid coverage will be discontinued, be sure to reach out to Ark Insurance Solutions right away. At Ark Insurance Solutions, we’ll help you find affordable health insurance plans to make sure you stay covered.
Ark’s Rebecca Yates Testified Today Before Utah Senate Committee About the Negative Impact of Copay Accumulator Adjustment Policies
/by Doug BurtonToday at the Utah State Capitol, Ark Founder and CEO Rebecca Yates testified before the Utah Senate Business and Labor Committee about the negative impacts of copay accumulator adjustment policies. These policies can lead to skyrocketing medical bills, and in some cases, patients not being able to afford needed medication. The use of these policies often result in copay assistance provided by non-profits and pharmaceutical companies not counting towards a patient’s deductible or out-of-pocket-maximum.
In her testimony, Yates told the Senate Committee:
“Section 1557 in the ACA describes that you are not allowed by benefit design to discriminate on the basis of disability. You’ve heard today (in previous testimony) that this does directly discriminate against people that are disabled. It is discouraging their treatments and therefore is against ACA Law. It is also not in compliance with the actual federal register release which is what they’re using to implement it. Under 45 CFR 156.130, it actually does say that they are not allowed to implement a copay accumulator if there is not a generic available. You’ve heard testimony today that there are not generics available for this. They are already in violation of federal law in multiple ways, and we need to stop it at the state level.”
Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, is the chief sponsor of S.B. 184 – Prescription Cost Amendments, which would require an insurer to calculate any amounts paid on behalf of an individual towards the individual’s cost sharing requirement, and would require a pharmacy benefit manager to calculate any amounts paid on behalf of an individual towards the individual’s cost sharing requirement.
The Senate Committee gave the bill a favorable recommendation by unanimous vote today. The bill will now proceed to the full Senate.