HLS 24RS-3545 ORIGINAL
2024 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 96
BY REPRESENTATIVE BROWN
INSURANCE/HEALTH: Requests the Department of Insurance to study the impact of
alternative funding programs on patient access to affordable prescription drugs
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To authorize and request the Department of Insurance to create the Louisiana Alternative
3 Funding Program Task Force to study the impact of alternative funding programs on
4 patient access to affordable prescription drugs.
5 WHEREAS, ensuring access to medically necessary medication is critical to the
6health outcomes of patients in Louisiana; and
7 WHEREAS, according to survey data, as many as eight percent of health coverage
8plans are using alternative funding programs, and thirty-one percent are exploring their use;
9and
10 WHEREAS, alternative funding program vendors have been reported to remove
11health plan coverage for specialty drugs prescribed to a patient or specialty drugs altogether,
12despite the fact that the patient continues to make payments for prescription drug coverage
13under a health coverage plan; and
14 WHEREAS, an alternative funding program's removal of coverage may be done to
15disguise the patient as uninsured or underinsured for the purpose of the patient applying and
16qualifying for assistance from needs-based patient assistance programs; and
17 WHEREAS, shifting of patients who otherwise have purchased prescription drug
18coverage to patient assistance programs could threaten the availability of needs-based
19assistance for those who truly qualify for the use of patient assistance programs; and
20 WHEREAS, a patient assistance program may reject patients when detecting that the
21patient is being disguised as uninsured, leading to significant delays in care, loss of access
Page 1 of 4 HLS 24RS-3545 ORIGINAL
HCR NO. 96
1to medication, or causing a forced switch to a medication not prescribed by the patient's
2doctor; and
3 WHEREAS, it is important for Louisiana to ensure that patient assistance programs
4remain sustainable and available to support the population for which they are intended.
5 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
6authorize and request the Department of Insurance to create the Louisiana Alternative
7Funding Program Task Force to study the impact of alternative funding programs on patient
8access to affordable prescription drugs.
9 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Louisiana Alternative Funding Program Task
10Force shall be comprised of the following members:
11 (1) The commissioner of insurance.
12 (2) The chief executive officer of the Louisiana State Medical Society.
13 (3) The executive director of the Louisiana Oncology Society.
14 (4) The president of the Rheumatology Alliance of Louisiana.
15 (5) The executive director of the Coalition of State Rheumatology Organizations.
16 (6) The chief executive officer of the Louisiana Association of Health Plans.
17 (7) The president of Health Agents for America.
18 (8) The president of the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association.
19 (9) The chief executive officer of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of
20America.
21 (10) The chief executive officer of the Louisiana Independent Pharmacies
22Association.
23 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Louisiana Alternative Funding Program Task
24Force shall study all of the following:
25 (1) The history and prevalence of alternative funding programs in the United States
26and Louisiana, including but not limited to the types of health insurance products that utilize,
27all or in part, alternative funding programs to provide access, coverage, or discounts for
28prescription drugs.
29 (2) The business model of alternative funding programs.
Page 2 of 4 HLS 24RS-3545 ORIGINAL
HCR NO. 96
1 (3) The impact of alternative funding programs on patient assistance programs for
2prescription medications, including but not limited to long-term stability of those patient
3assistance programs if an upswing in alternative funding programs is realized across an
4increased number of health insurance products.
5 (4) The impact of alternative funding programs on coverage of prescription
6medications if the utilization of alternative funding programs is expanded across additional
7insurance products, including but not limited to commercial health coverage plans, health
8coverage plans offered to public employees, and health coverage plans offered to individuals
9in the state's health insurance exchange.
10 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the commissioner of insurance shall serve as the
11chairman of the task force and the staff of the Department of Insurance shall provide support
12to the task force.
13 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that each appointed member of the task force may
14appoint a designee who shall serve on the task force on his behalf.
15 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of the task force shall serve
16without compensation, except per diem or expense reimbursement to which they may be
17individually entitled as members of their constituent organizations.
18 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a majority of the total membership shall
19constitute a quorum of the task force, and any official action by the task force shall require
20an affirmative vote of a majority of the quorum present and voting.
21 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the names of the members designated in this
22Resolution shall be submitted to the chairman of the task force by July 15, 2024, and the
23chairman shall thereafter call the first meeting of the task force by August 15, 2024.
24 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall meet as necessary and
25provide a written report of its findings from the study, together with any recommendations
26for legislation, to the House Committee on Insurance, the Senate Committee on Insurance,
27and the David R. Poynter Legislative Research Library no later than December 31, 2024.
28 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall terminate upon the date of
29submission of its report.
Page 3 of 4 HLS 24RS-3545 ORIGINAL
HCR NO. 96
1 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
2commissioner of insurance, the chief executive officer of the Louisiana State Medical
3Society, the executive director of the Louisiana Oncology Society, the president of the
4Rheumatology Alliance of Louisiana, the executive director of the Coalition of State
5Rheumatology Organizations, the chief executive officer of the Louisiana Association of
6Health Plans, the president of Health Agents for America, the president of the
7Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, the chief executive officer of Pharmaceutical
8Research and Manufacturers of America, and the chief executive officer of the Louisiana
9Independent Pharmacies Association.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HCR 96 Original 2024 Regular Session Brown
Creates the La. Alternative Funding Program Task Force to study and make
recommendations regarding the impact of alternative funding programs on patient access to
affordable prescription drugs.
Specifies the members of the task force and provides that members serve without
compensation, except for such reimbursement or per diem they are individually entitled to
as members of the constituent groups they represent.
Requests the task force to report its findings, with any recommendations for legislation, no
later than Dec. 1, 2024.
Page 4 of 4