A state bill making its way through Sacramento would ban the practice of requiring patients to pay a percentage of drugs that fall into so-called specialty tiers. These drugs are necessary for millions of patients nationwide who suffer from cancer, multiple sclerosis, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis and other auto-immune diseases.
The bill, introduced by Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, D-San Francisco, would place a $150 out-of-pocket cap per month on medication for all patients. Co-insurance health plans, which require a patient to pay a percentage of the cost for treatment, would also be banned.
The health insurance industry opposes the measure, saying the overall cost of prescription drugs rose by nearly 7 percent last year alone, and these specialty drugs are extremely expensive. If patients don't pay more, nearly $220 million in losses would be passed on to other premium holders.
