This Document Contains Sensitive Talking Points on Our Bills As Well As Legislation We Oppose
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This document contains sensitive talking points on our bills as well as legislation we oppose. Please do not lose. Table of Contents SCHEDULE OF EVENTS ........................................................................................................... 3 SCHEDULE OF APPOINTMENTS WITH LEGISLATORS ................................................................ 4 BILLS OF INTEREST Cost-Sharing Parity for Oral Anti-Cancer Therapies .......................................................... 8 Patients for Fair Compensation……………………………………………………………………………….……..9 Payment Reform Initiative Technical Advisory Groups…………………………………………………..10 Payment Reform Initiative Cost of Treatment Information in Provider Reports……………..11 Regulation of In-Office Dispensing………………………………………………………………………………...12 Removing Immunity Protection for Prayer in lieu of Medical Treatment …………………….…13 Workers’ Compensation Silent PPO…………………………………………………………………….….….….14 GENERAL ASSEMBLY INFORMATION Senate Key Committees ......................................................................................................15 House Key Committees ........................................................................................................16 Legislator Contact Information.............................................................................................18 COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR LEGISLATOR Tips for Different Methods of Legislative Contact..............................................................36 Effective Lobbying...............................................................................................................38 OTHER RESOURCES How a Bill Becomes a Law in the General Assembly ..........................................................39 Map of Capitol Hill Area......................................................................................................40 Contacting TMA ..................................................................................................................41 2 Schedule of Events Meet with individual legislators ALL DAY (Legislative Plaza and War Memorial Building) Lunch* 11:30 am – 1 pm (State Capitol, Floor 2) House Health Subcommittee 1:30 pm (Legislative Plaza, Room 30) Senate Commerce Committee 1:30 pm (Legislative Plaza, Room 12) Senate Judiciary Committee 3:30 pm (Legislative Plaza, Room 12) *Walking Directions to Lunch: Escalators can be found past the cafeteria at the far north side of the plaza. Continue on through the marble hallway. At the end of the hall, there are two (2) elevators. Go to the second (2) floor. Lunch will take place outside the House and Senate Chambers. There will be signs directing you to the Capitol. 3 Schedule of Appointments with Legislators Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society 9:30 am – 9:45 am Representative JoAnne Favors (Legislative Plaza, Room 35) 10:00 am – 10:15 am Senator Todd Gardenhire (Legislative Plaza, Room 11A) 10:00 am – 10:15 am Senator Mike Bell (War Memorial Bldg., Room 309) 10:30 am – 10:45 am Representative Patsy Hazlewood (Legislative Plaza, Room 20) 11:00 am – 11:15 am Representative Marc Gravitt (War Memorial Bldg., Room 107) 11:30 am – 11: 45 am Senator Bo Watson (Legislative Plaza, Room 13) 12:30 pm – 12:45 pm Representative Kevin Brooks (War Memorial Bldg., Room 103) 1:00 pm – 1:30 pm Representative Mike Carter and Representative Ron Travis (War Memorial Bldg., Room G-3) 1:30 pm – 1:45 pm Representative Kevin Brooks (War Memorial Bldg., 103) 2:00 pm – 2:15 pm Representative Gerald McCormick (Legislative Plaza, Room 25) 2:30 pm – 2:45 pm Representative Dan Howell (War Memorial Bldg., Room 110) Cookeville Area Appointments 10:00 am – 10:15 am Representative Ryan Williams (War Memorial Bldg., Room 114) 11:30 am – 11:45 am Representative Cameron Sexton (War Memorial Bldg., Room 114) 12:45 pm – 1:00 pm Senator Paul Bailey (War Memorial Bldg., Room 304) 4 Knoxville Academy of Medicine 10:45 am – 11:00 am Representative Martin Daniel (War Memorial Bldg., Room 109) 1:00 pm – 1:30 pm Senator Randy McNally (War Memorial Bldg., Room 307) 1:30 pm – 2:00 pm Representative Harry Brooks (War Memorial Bldg., Room 117) 2:00 pm – 2:30 pm Senator Becky Massey (Legislative Plaza, Room 6A) 2:30 pm – 3:00 pm Representative Bill Dunn (War Memorial Bldg., Room 115) 3:00 pm – 3:30 pm Senator Richard Briggs, MD (War Memorial Bldg., Room 317) The Memphis Medical Society 10:30 am – 10:45 am Senator Sara Kyle (War Memorial Bldg., Room 305) 10:45 am – 11:00 am Representative Raumesh Akbari (Legislative Plaza, Room 35) 11:15 am – 11:30 am Senator Lee Harris (War Memorial Bldg., Room 318) 11:30 am – 11:45 am Senator Reginald Tate (War Memorial Bldg., Room 320) 12:45 pm – 1:00 pm Representative Karen Camper (Legislative Plaza, Room 32) 1:30 pm – 1:45 pm Senator Brian Kelsey (Legislative Plaza, Room 7) 2:00 pm – 2:15 pm Representative Ron Lollar (War Memorial Bldg., Room 214) Between 1 pm and 2 pm Representative Curry Todd (War Memorial Bldg., Room 209) 5 Nashville Academy of Medicine Speaker Beth Harwell 9:15 am – 9:30 am (Legislative Plaza, Room 19) 9:45 am – 10:00 am Senator Jeff Yarbro (War Memorial Bldg., Room 312) 10:45 am – 11:00 am Senator Ferrell Haile (Legislative Plaza, Room 10A) 10:45 am – 11:00 am Representative Jason Powell (Legislative Plaza, Room 34) 11:00 am – 11:15 am Representative John Ray Clemmons (Legislative Plaza, Room 38) 1:00 pm – 1:15 pm Representative Brenda Gilmore (Legislative Plaza, Room 26) Representative Sherry Jones 1:30 pm – 1:45 pm (Legislative Plaza, Room 26) Representative Darren Jernigan 2:00 pm – 2:15 pm (Legislative Plaza, Room 24) Region 2 – West Tennessee 11:00 am – 11:15 am Representative Jimmy Eldridge (War Memorial Bldg., Room 208) 11:30 am – 11:45 am Representative Bill Sanderson (War Memorial Bldg., Room 204) 11:30 am – 11:45 am Senator Dolores Gresham (War Memorial Bldg., Room 308) 12:30 pm – 12:45 pm Senator John Stevens (War Memorial Bldg., Room 302) 2:30 pm – 2:45 pm Representative Johnny Shaw (Legislative Plaza, Room 36C) 2:45 pm – 3:00 pm Senator Ed Jackson (Legislative Plaza, Room 3) 6 Region 8 – Tri-Cities 10:30 am – 10:45 am Representative Jeremy Faison (War Memorial Bldg., Room 202) 10:45 am – 11 am Senator Steve Southerland (Legislative Plaza, Room 10) 11:00 am – 11:15 am Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey (Legislative Plaza, Room 1) 11:30 am – 11:45 am Representative John Holsclaw (War Memorial Bldg., Room G-24) 12:00 pm – 12:15 pm Representative Matthew Hill (Legislative Plaza, Room 23) 1:15 pm – 1:30 pm Representative Jon Lundberg (Legislative Plaza, Room 20) 1:15 – 1:30 pm Representative Micah Van Huss (Legislative Plaza, Room 23) 1:45 pm – 2:00 pm Senator Rusty Crowe (Legislative Plaza, Room 8) 7 SUPPORT Cost-Sharing Parity for Oral Anti-Cancer Therapies SB2091 SENATOR BILL KETRON/HB2239 REPRESENTATIVE WILLIAM LAMBERTH Bill Summary: This bill prohibits state-regulated health insurance plans and policies that cover intravenously administered, injected, and oral anti-cancer therapies from requiring the insured to pay a higher co-payment, deductible, or coinsurance for orally administered anti-cancer medications than is required for anti-cancer medications injected or intravenously administered by a health care provider which are covered by the plan or policy, regardless of the formulation or benefit category determination. Health insurance plans may not comply with the prohibition by increasing co-payment, deductible, or coinsurance for intravenous or injected chemotherapy that is covered under the policy or plan or by reclassifying benefits with respect to anti-cancer medications. What’s the issue? Orally-administered anti-cancer treatments can be the most effective and appropriate therapies for many types of cancer and, for some cancers, may be the only option. Yet, because insurance benefit designs have not kept pace with advancements in treatment, cancer patients’ out-of-pocket costs can vary significantly based upon whether their treatment is covered under their medical benefit or as part of their pharmacy benefit. If a therapy is covered under a pharmacy benefit, patients are often charged high co-insurances (a percentage of the cost of the product) as opposed to a flat co-payment. This inconsistency often results in higher patient cost-sharing obligations for orally-administered anti-cancer drugs than for physician-administered therapies. Why is this important? Exorbitant out-of-pocket costs can have serious consequences for patients facing cancer. According to a recent study, approximately 10% of patients abandoned their treatment when their co- payment was greater than $100. When co-payments were greater than $500, nearly 25% of patients abandoned their treatment regimen.1 Abandoning a treatment regimen can lead to costly hospitalizations, the need for additional treatment, and disease progression. Patients and their physicians should be free to make treatment decisions based upon what’s most clinically appropriate for the patient. Patients should not be forced to choose a less appropriate treatment option—or forgo therapy altogether where no other options exist—simply because of the out-of-pocket cost. What’s the solution? Forty states plus the District of Columbia have enacted legislation addressing this issue. Often referred to as “oral parity laws,” these laws state that, if a health plan covers cancer treatment, that plan must provide fair and equal coverage for cancer drugs that are administered orally. Vote YES on SB2091/HB2239 1 Streeter, Sonya. “Patient and Plan Characteristics