NY State Senate Bill 2019-S3912

Senate Bill S3912

2019-2020 Legislative Session

Limits the cost-sharing responsibilities of eligible participants in the elderly pharmaceutical insurance coverage program

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Aging Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

Please enter your contact information

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

A valid email address is required.

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.

Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 08, 2020	referred to aging
Feb 21, 2019	referred to aging

2019-S3912 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Aging
Law Section:: Elder Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §247, Eld L

2019-S3912 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Limits the cost-sharing responsibilities of eligible participants in the elderly pharmaceutical insurance coverage program.

2019-S3912 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S3912

SPONSOR: STAVISKY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the elder law, in relation to limiting the cost-sharing
responsibilities of eligible participants in the elderly pharmaceutical
insurance coverage program

 
PURPOSE OF THE BILL:

Caps the out-of-pocket expenses (COPE) of an individual participant in
either the Fee Plan or the Deductible Plan of the Elderly Pharmaceutical
Insurance Coverage Program (EPIC) at five percent (5%) of annual gross
income.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 247 of the elder law is amended to add new subdivision 5 to
read:

3. Cost-sharing responsibilities limit. At no time during a coverage
period shall the cost-sharing responsibilities, which are comprised of
the sum of the annual registration fee and co-payments, exceed five
percent of the eligible program participant's gross income, effective
immediately.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The cost of prescription drugs for senior citizens is a well-documented
issue that looms over the political landscape in New York and throughout
the country. As drug prices continue to rise, there is an ever-increas-
ing burden on senior incomes. Federal Medicare HMO's continue to dump
seniors.

In New York, the Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage (EPIC) Plan
has picked up some of the burden. EPIC requires that participants pay a
variety of premiums, fees, co-pays and deductibles. This currently rang-
es from 4 to 7 percent of their incomes. COPE ensures that no one will
pay more than 5 percent of their income. COPE will pick up the cost,
pointing to a renewed urgency for Congress to resolve the issue in order
to offset the State's commitment.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2016: S 3179 - referred to Aging

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the 120th day next succeeding the date on
which it shall have become a law.

2019-S3912 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3912
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 21, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. STAVISKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Aging
 
 AN ACT to amend the elder law, in relation to limiting the  cost-sharing
   responsibilities  of  eligible  participants in the elderly pharmaceu-
   tical insurance coverage program

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Section  247  of the elder law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 5 to read as follows:
   5. COST-SHARING RESPONSIBILITIES LIMIT. AT NO TIME DURING  A  COVERAGE
 PERIOD  SHALL  THE COST-SHARING RESPONSIBILITIES, WHICH ARE COMPRISED OF
 THE SUM OF THE ANNUAL REGISTRATION  FEE  AND  CO-PAYMENTS,  EXCEED  FIVE
 PERCENT  OF  THE  ELIGIBLE PROGRAM PARTICIPANT'S GROSS INCOME, EFFECTIVE
 IMMEDIATELY.
   § 2.  This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day next
 succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
 
 
 
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10057-01-9

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.