SENATE DOCKET, NO. 69        FILED ON: 1/12/2009

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 518

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act relative to large print labels for the visually impaired.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Chapter 175 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 47W the following section-Section 47X. Any blanket or general policy of insurance described in subdivision (A), (C) or (D) of section 110 which provides prescription drug insurance, which is delivered or issued for delivery or subsequently renewed by agreement between the insurer and the policyholder within or without the commonwealth shall provide coverage for the expense of a container large enough to be labeled with the name of the medication, the dosage, the dosage frequency and the expiration date in 24 point font for use by a person who is legally blind or visually impaired. The policy holder shall be responsible for re-using the device for refills and for new prescriptions as appropriate and returning the container to a pharmacist for refill.

SECTION 2. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, an individual, public or private institution, business or other organization that regularly and primarily provides a service to a disabled person shall inform the disabled person of the availability of the availability of large print prescription labeling referred to in section 47X of chapter 175 of the General Laws.