12-R353
2012 -- S 3045 SUBSTITUTE A
Enacted 06/12/12
S E N A T E R E
S O L U T I O N
CREATING A
SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO STUDY PATIENT ACCESS TO MEDICALLY NECESSARY
MENTAL HEALTH PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
Introduced By: Senators Felag, McCaffrey, Ruggerio, Gallo, and Walaska
Date Introduced: June 05, 2012
RESOLVED,
That a special legislative commission be and the same
is hereby created
consisting of seven (7) members: three (3) of whom shall be
members of the Senate, not more
than two (2) of whom shall be from the same political
party, to be appointed by the President of
the Senate; one of whom shall be a representative of the
Rhode Island Council of Community
Mental Health
Organizations, to be appointed by the President of the Senate; one of whom
shall
be a representative of the Rhode Island Medical Society,
to be appointed by the President of the
Senate; one of whom shall
be a pharmacist licensed to practice in the State of
appointed by the President of the Senate; and one of whom shall
be a representative of the health
insurance industry, to be appointed by the President of the
Senate.
In
lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a permanent advisory
commission, a legislative study commission, or any commission
created by a General Assembly
resolution, the appointing authority may appoint a member of the
general public to serve in lieu
of a legislator, provided that the majority leader or
the minority leader of the political party which
is entitled to the appointment consents to the member of
the general public.
The
purpose of said commission shall be to make a comprehensive study and develop
recommendations regarding current
exception criteria and the process by which a health insurer is
required to cover a non-formulary
medication deemed medically necessary by a physician or other
person authorized to prescribe
medication. The commission study shall include, but not be
limited to, consideration of requiring
health insurers to provide coverage for a non-formulary
medication, regardless of whether said
medication meets the nonprofit medical service corporation's
medical exception criteria, if the
medication has been prescribed as treatment for a mental
disorder, including schizophrenia, as
defined by the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
(DSM) published by the
American Psychiatric Association.
Forthwith
upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall meet at
the call of the President of the Senate and organize and
shall select a chairperson from amongst
the legislators.
Vacancies
in said commission shall be filled in like manner as the original appointment.
The
membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services.
All
departments and agencies of the state shall furnish such advice and
information,
documentary and otherwise, to said commission and its agents as
is deemed necessary or
desirable by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this
resolution.
The
Joint Committee on Legislative Services is hereby authorized and directed to
provide
suitable quarters for said commission; and be it further
RESOLVED,
That the commission shall report its findings and
recommendations to the
Senate no later than March
5, 2013, and said commission shall expire on May 31, 2013.
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LC02780/SUB A
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