Kellner Bill to Protect Millions of New Yorkers from Prescription Drug Price Gouging Passes Legislature
June 24, 2010
Two weeks ago, I posted about how my legislation to prohibit so-called “specialty tiers” in prescription drug pricing would protect millions of New Yorkers with chronic and life-threatening illnesses. These specialty tiers are a way for insurance companies to gouge patients, charging them enormous amounts of money for the life-saving medication they need.
I am pleased to announce that my bill to ban this outrageous practice has now passed the Legislature, and will go to the Governor for his signature. This bill will protect millions of New Yorkers who might otherwise find themselves unable to afford the medication they depend upon.
In states such as California, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin, insurance companies have created specialty price tiers for patients with conditions including breast cancer, leukemia, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, hemophilia, HIV and AIDS, cystic fibrosis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, hepatitis B and C, diabetes, psoriasis, kidney disease, anemia, and other serious medical conditions. These patients are charged “coinsurance,” typically 25%-33% of the total retail cost of the drug per month, instead of a flat co-payment for drugs they need to save their life or to prevent disease progression—many of which cost of hundreds or thousands of dollars each month.
Specialty tiering is an insidious practice which has become a major problem for patients in states where it is allowed. This bill will stop it from happening here in New York. I urge the Governor to do the right thing for patients and sign the legislation into law.
The bill passed the Assembly yesterday. It had passed the State Senate, where it was sponsored by Senator Tom Duane, on June 3. You can read my report on the how this legislation will benefit New Yorkers by clicking here: http://www.micahkellner.net/specialtytiers.pdf.
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