Report Title:

Prescription Drugs for Uninsureds

 

Description:

Directs the director of health to create a bulk purchasing program to provide affordable prescription drugs for individuals who have no prescription drug insurance.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1737

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2002

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to prescription drugs.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The director of health, in consultation with the director of the executive office of aging, the director of human services, the administrator of the state health planning and development agency, the director of human services, the insurance commissioner, and the administrator of the state procurement office, within sixty days after the effective date of this Act, shall develop a bulk purchasing program to provide prescription drug price discounts for Hawaii residents who lack prescription drug health insurance benefits or who are underinsured.

SECTION 2. To ensure the timely performance of any obligations under this Act, the director of health may enter into an agreement with any public agency or private organization for the purpose of developing and managing a prescription drug bulk purchasing program for Hawaii residents who lack prescription drug health insurance benefits. The director of health, or the director's designee, shall prepare a request for proposals for the purpose of selecting one or more entities to provide prescription drug benefit management services to participants. The selection process shall include criteria designed to select the entity that is best able to provide a prescription drug bulk purchasing program for the coverage group in a way that maximizes savings for the State and participants without reducing the quality of prescription drug benefits, if any, now being provided to the coverage group.

The director of health shall select a proposal, if any, only after making a determination in writing that it maximizes savings to the State, or provides other substantial public benefits, in a way that does not reduce the quality of existing prescription drug services for Hawaii residents who are underinsured or who lack drug benefit coverage. Thirty days before the director of health's selection becomes final, the director shall submit a report containing the director's selection, along with the basis therefor, to the legislature.

The accepted proposal shall not terminate any contract currently in existence with any agency or program affected by this Act that cannot be favorably renegotiated.

SECTION 3. The prescription drug bulk purchasing program for uninsured and underinsured Hawaii residents shall be implemented no later than July 1, 2003, in such a manner as to be self-supporting and without cost to the State.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

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