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HJM015................................................by HEALTH AND WELFARE
FREE MEDICATION PROGRAM - Stating findings of the Legislature and urging
Congress to mandate a standardized application for use by pharmaceutical
companies in determining eligibility for free medications from the
companies.
02/13 House intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/14 Rpt prt - to Health/Wel
]]]] LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO ]]]]
Fifty-eighth Legislature Second Regular Session - 2006
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 15
BY HEALTH AND WELFARE COMMITTEE
1 A JOINT MEMORIAL
2 TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES IN CONGRESS
3 ASSEMBLED, AND TO THE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION REPRESENTING THE STATE OF
4 IDAHO IN THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES.
5 We, your Memorialists, the House of Representatives and the Senate of the
6 State of Idaho assembled in the Second Regular Session of the Fifty-eighth
7 Idaho Legislature, do hereby respectfully represent that:
8 WHEREAS, there are an estimated 148,000 adults in Idaho without health
9 care coverage; and
10 WHEREAS, 286,000 Idaho adults live in households with incomes of less than
11 or equal to 185 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG); and
12 WHEREAS, 78,000 or nearly 30 percent of the households at or below 180
13 percent of the FPG are without health insurance; and
14 WHEREAS, many of these individuals qualify for patient assistance programs
15 available through pharmaceutical companies; and
16 WHEREAS, health care providers throughout Idaho, including hospitals, com-
17 munity health centers, residency programs, free clinics, physicians' offices,
18 county governments and other community agencies, have shown a commitment to
19 assisting patients in accessing these programs because the application process
20 is burdensome and time-consuming; and
21 WHEREAS, depending upon the medication needed, there are approximately 191
22 programs and forms from the various pharmaceutical companies that must be com-
23 pleted in order to access these medications; and
24 WHEREAS, each patient averages between three to five medications and some
25 have as many as nine medications; and
26 WHEREAS, the average savings in prescription costs to these patients is
27 estimated to be approximately $2,400 annually; and
28 WHEREAS, these prescriptions represent preventive medications, the avail-
29 ability of which reduces additional costs in the health care safety net and
30 are lifesaving in certain circumstances; and
31 WHEREAS, the most common types of medications requested are hypertension
32 medications and antidepressants; and
33 WHEREAS, the estimated time to complete each application for each patient
34 by hand is thirty minutes to one hour; and
35 WHEREAS, there would be considerable time saved for health care providers
36 in Idaho and increased access to necessary prescriptions for low-income
37 Idahoans if the process were streamlined; and
38 WHEREAS, it is generally estimated that a standardized application for
39 these prescriptions would reduce the time necessary to complete applications
40 for any individual by half, based upon experience using electronic software
41 that completes the process at a cost.
42 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the members of the Second Regular Ses-
43 sion of the Fifty-eighth Idaho Legislature, the House of Representatives and
44 the Senate concurring therein, that we urge Congress to mandate a standardized
2
1 application for use by pharmaceutical companies in determining eligibility for
2 free medications from the pharmaceutical companies.
3 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chief Clerk of the House of Representa-
4 tives be, and she is hereby authorized and directed to forward a copy of this
5 Memorial to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Repre-
6 sentatives of Congress, and the congressional delegation representing the
7 State of Idaho in the Congress of the United States.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
RS 16012
This legislation urges Congress to mandate a standardized
application for use by pharmaceutical companies in determining
eligibility for free medications from the pharmaceutical
companies.
FISCAL NOTE
No impact to the general fund.
Contact
Name: Rep. Margaret Henbest
Phone: 332-1000
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE HJM 15