From historic legislation to important PHA presentations, May and June have been busy months for treatment access issues in the PH community. Learn more about what’s happened these past few weeks:
- Maintaining Health Coverage for Marketplace Users
On June 25, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States upheld a key component of the Affordable Care Act, ensuring that premium tax credits remain available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. This 6-to-3 decision reaffirms the Affordable Care Act as the law of the land. This is great news for individuals living with rare diseases, many of whom rely on the Marketplaces for their health insurance. Read more
- California Leading the Way in Treatment Access
Over the years, expensive specialty medications used to treat chronic illnesses, like pulmonary hypertension, have forced some patients to choose between their health and their living expenses. With medications costing upwards of $200,000 a year and insurance plans requiring out-of-pocket payments of 25 to 50 percent or more, PH patients face a serious dilemma.
To address this issue of treatment access, Covered California, California’s health insurance marketplace, established rules that will cap the amount people enrolled in one of their health insurance plans can be charged each month for specialty medications, the first exchange to do so. Overall, the caps will range from $150 to $500 a month. These changes, which take effect in 2016, will ensure that Covered California consumers can afford the PH medications they need.
- Educating State Legislators on PH
Last month, PHA presented to women state legislators at both the Western and Midwestern Regional Conferences of Women In Government (WIG). At the Annual Midwestern Regional Conference, PH patient and PHA Board of Trustees member, Colleen Brunetti, shared her story and highlighted the many medication delivery issues PH patients face. Katie Kroner, PHA Senior Director of Advocacy & Awareness, and Sandee Lombardi, RN, spoke at the Annual Western Regional Conference to highlight barriers such as treatment access issues, diagnosis delays, coverage concerns and more.
Step by step, PHA is continuing its goal of increasing awareness and advocating for PHers everywhere. For questions, contact Tim at Insurance@PHAssociation.org.
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