REPUBLICAN SENATORS SUSTAIN GOV’S VETO OF PATIENT PROTECTION MEASURE

Bill would increase access to prescription drugs, and reduce costs for patients

AUGUSTA–Yesterday, Governor LePage vetoed a measure that ensured prescription efficacy and patient protection by modifying the step-therapy process, a method of trying a specific drug, usually a lower cost one, before stepping the patient up to a different, more expensive drug. The Senate voted 20-15 to sustain the Governor’s veto.

“With this veto, the Governor has again placed himself on the side of insurance companies and against the interests of Maine people who need medicine,” said Senator Geoff Gratwick of Bangor, the sponsor of the bill and a practicing physician. “This bill would have protected patients, saved them money on their prescriptions, and reduced the wait time for nonemergency prescription drug requests.”

The measure would have improved step-therapy by allowing only a single failure for a medication before a new medication is tried, affirming physicians’ rights to use their own judgment in the step-therapy process, and preventing insurance companies from charging a higher copay for drugs approved for use through the step-therapy process.

The bill also requires health insurance carriers to respond to nonemergency prescription drug prior authorization requests within 24 hours.

Gratwick added, “This is simply good sense. Requiring insurance companies to respond to non-emergency prescription drug requests within 24 hours, instead of two days, is the standard for Medicaid and Medicare, and there is no reason private insurance companies cannot abide by the same standard as government.”

LD 984, “An Act to Amend the Health Plan Improvement Law Regarding Prescription Drug Step Therapy and Prior Authorization,” was unanimously passed under the hammer in both the Senate and the House. The measure will see no further action this legislative session due to the failure to override the Governor’s veto.

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