HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3227        FILED ON: 1/18/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3556

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Sean Garballey and John J. Lawn, Jr.

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act promoting continuity of care for multiple sclerosis treatment.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Sean Garballey

23rd Middlesex

1/18/2019

John J. Lawn, Jr.

10th Middlesex

3/20/2019

Diana DiZoglio

First Essex

1/23/2019

Timothy R. Whelan

1st Barnstable

1/24/2019

Louis L. Kafka

8th Norfolk

1/24/2019

Thomas M. Stanley

9th Middlesex

1/24/2019

David Allen Robertson

19th Middlesex

1/24/2019

David Paul Linsky

5th Middlesex

1/24/2019

Antonio F. D. Cabral

13th Bristol

1/24/2019

Mark J. Cusack

5th Norfolk

1/24/2019

Steven S. Howitt

4th Bristol

1/25/2019

Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr.

12th Hampden

1/25/2019

Sheila C. Harrington

1st Middlesex

1/25/2019

John Barrett, III

1st Berkshire

1/25/2019

Shawn Dooley

9th Norfolk

1/25/2019

Paul J. Donato

35th Middlesex

1/25/2019

Tommy Vitolo

15th Norfolk

1/27/2019

Michael S. Day

31st Middlesex

1/28/2019

John J. Mahoney

13th Worcester

1/28/2019

Hannah Kane

11th Worcester

1/28/2019

Tackey Chan

2nd Norfolk

1/28/2019

Mary S. Keefe

15th Worcester

1/28/2019

Brian M. Ashe

2nd Hampden

1/29/2019

Jonathan Hecht

29th Middlesex

1/29/2019

Michael J. Barrett

Third Middlesex

1/29/2019

Jason M. Lewis

Fifth Middlesex

1/29/2019

Steven Ultrino

33rd Middlesex

1/29/2019

Mathew J. Muratore

1st Plymouth

1/29/2019

Kimberly N. Ferguson

1st Worcester

1/29/2019

Brian W. Murray

10th Worcester

1/29/2019

Edward F. Coppinger

10th Suffolk

1/29/2019

Bradley H. Jones, Jr.

20th Middlesex

1/29/2019

Kate Hogan

3rd Middlesex

1/29/2019

Daniel J. Hunt

13th Suffolk

1/29/2019

Carmine Lawrence Gentile

13th Middlesex

1/29/2019

Bruce E. Tarr

First Essex and Middlesex

1/30/2019

Kenneth I. Gordon

21st Middlesex

1/30/2019

Michael O. Moore

Second Worcester

1/30/2019

James J. O'Day

14th Worcester

1/30/2019

Paul F. Tucker

7th Essex

1/30/2019

Angelo L. D'Emilia

8th Plymouth

1/30/2019

Michael J. Finn

6th Hampden

1/31/2019

Jennifer E. Benson

37th Middlesex

1/31/2019

James M. Murphy

4th Norfolk

1/31/2019

Mindy Domb

3rd Hampshire

1/31/2019

Bruce J. Ayers

1st Norfolk

2/1/2019

Christine P. Barber

34th Middlesex

2/1/2019

Paul Brodeur

32nd Middlesex

2/1/2019

Brendan P. Crighton

Third Essex

2/1/2019

Thomas A. Golden, Jr.

16th Middlesex

2/1/2019

Carlos González

10th Hampden

2/1/2019

Tami L. Gouveia

14th Middlesex

2/1/2019

Richard M. Haggerty

30th Middlesex

2/1/2019

James K. Hawkins

2nd Bristol

2/2/2019

Natalie M. Higgins

4th Worcester

2/1/2019

Patrick Joseph Kearney

4th Plymouth

1/31/2019

John F. Keenan

Norfolk and Plymouth

1/31/2019

David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf

17th Worcester

2/1/2019

Elizabeth A. Poirier

14th Bristol

1/31/2019

Denise Provost

27th Middlesex

1/31/2019

David M. Rogers

24th Middlesex

1/31/2019

José F. Tosado

9th Hampden

2/1/2019

John C. Velis

4th Hampden

2/1/2019

Susannah M. Whipps

2nd Franklin

2/1/2019


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3227        FILED ON: 1/18/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3556

By Messrs. Garballey of Arlington and Lawn of Watertown, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3556) of Sean Garballey, John J. Lawn, Jr., and others relative to coverage for disease modifying prescription drugs for treatment of multiple sclerosis.  Financial Services.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

_______________

 

An Act promoting continuity of care for multiple sclerosis treatment.

 

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 32A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following new section:-

Section 28. The commission shall provide to any active or retired employee of the commonwealth and who is insured under the group insurance commission coverage for a disease modifying prescription drug for treatment of multiple sclerosis that the individual has already been prescribed and has already been taking.  This section shall also require coverage for such an ongoing disease-modifying prescription drug treatment under any non-group policy.

SECTION 2. Chapter 175 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after Section 47II the following new section:-

Section 47JJ. Any policy of accident and sickness insurance as described in section 108 that provides hospital expense and surgical expense insurance and that is delivered, issued or subsequently renewed by agreement between the insurer and policyholder in the commonwealth; any blanket or general policy of insurance described in subdivision (A), (C) or (D) of section 110 that provides hospital expense and surgical expense insurance and that is delivered, issued or subsequently renewed by agreement between the insurer and the policyholder, within or without the commonwealth ; or any employees’ health and welfare fund that provides hospital expense and surgical expense benefits and that is delivered, issued or renewed to any person or group of persons in the commonwealth, shall provide to a commonwealth resident covered by the policy, coverage for a disease-modifying prescription drug to treat multiple sclerosis that the individual has already been prescribed and has already been taking, upon receipt of documentation by the prescribing provider that 1) the member has been diagnosed with a form of multiple sclerosis, and 2) the member has been stabilized or has achieved a positive clinical response as evidenced by low disease activity or improvement in symptoms on the drug.

The benefits in this section shall not be subject to any greater deductible, coinsurance, copayments or out-of-pocket limits than the maximum deductible, coinsurance, copayments or out-of-pocket limits for other disease-modifying prescription drugs for multiple sclerosis covered by the policy.  This section shall also require coverage for such an ongoing disease-modifying prescription drug treatment for multiple sclerosis under any non-group policy.

SECTION 3. Chapter 176A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after Section 8KK the following new section:-

Section 8LL. Any contract between a subscriber and the corporation under an individual or group  hospital service plan that is delivered, issued or renewed in the commonwealth shall provide as  benefits to any individual subscribers or members within the commonwealth a disease-modifying  prescription drug to treat multiple sclerosis that the individual has already been prescribed and has already been taking, upon receipt of documentation by the prescribing provider that 1) the member has been diagnosed with a form of multiple sclerosis, and 2) the member has been stabilized or has achieved a positive clinical response as evidenced by low disease activity or improvement in symptoms on the drug.

The benefits in this section shall not be subject to greater deductible, coinsurance, copayments or out-of-pocket limits than the maximum deductible, coinsurance, copayments or out-of-pocket limits for other disease-modifying prescription drugs for multiple sclerosis covered by the policy.  This section shall also require coverage for such an ongoing disease-modifying prescription drug treatment for multiple sclerosis under any non-group policy.

SECTION 4. Chapter 176B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after Section 4KK the following new section:-

Section 4LL. Any subscription certificate under an individual or group medical service agreement that shall be delivered, issued or renewed within the commonwealth shall provide as benefits to any individual subscriber or member within the commonwealth coverage for a disease-modifying prescription drug to treat multiple sclerosis that the individual has already been prescribed and has already been taking, upon receipt of documentation by the prescribing provider that 1) the member has been diagnosed with a form of multiple sclerosis, and 2) the member has been stabilized or has achieved a positive clinical response as evidenced by low disease activity or improvement in symptoms on the drug.

The benefits in this section shall not be subject to any greater deductible, coinsurance, copayments or out-of-pocket limits than the maximum deductible, coinsurance, copayments or out-of-pocket limits for other disease-modifying prescription drugs for multiple sclerosis covered by the policy.  This section shall also require coverage for such an ongoing disease-modifying prescription drug treatment for multiple sclerosis under any non-group policy.

SECTION 5. Chapter 176G of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition,  is hereby amended by inserting after Section 4CC the following new section:-

Section 4DD.  An individual or group health maintenance contract shall provide coverage and benefits to any individual within the commonwealth for a disease-modifying prescription drug for treatment of multiple sclerosis that the individual has already been prescribed and has already been taking, upon receipt of documentation by the prescribing provider that 1) the member has been diagnosed with a form of multiple sclerosis, and 2) the member has been stabilized or has achieved a positive clinical response as evidenced by low disease activity or improvement in symptoms on the drug.

The benefits in this section shall not be subject to any greater deductible, coinsurance, copayments or out-of-pocket limits than the maximum deductible, coinsurance, copayments or out-of-pocket limits for other disease-modifying prescription drugs for multiple sclerosis covered by the policy.  This section shall also require coverage for such an ongoing disease-modifying prescription drug treatment for multiple sclerosis under any non-group policy.