04/01/2013 03:15 PM House LABOR & COMMERCE

          HB 125-TOPICAL EYE MEDS PRESCRIPTION REFILLS                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
4:12:03 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR OLSON announced that the final order of business would be                                                                 
HOUSE  BILL NO. 125,  "An Act  prohibiting a  health care  insurer                                                              
from  denying  coverage  for an  additional  limited  quantity  of                                                              
prescription    topical     eye    medication     under    certain                                                              
circumstances."                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
4:12:39 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHRISSY  MCNALLY,  Staff, Representative  Lindsey  Holmes,  Alaska                                                              
State  Legislature,   offered  to  explain  the   changes  in  the                                                              
proposed committee substitute.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
4:13:09 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  REINBOLD  moved to  adopt  the proposed  committee                                                              
substitute  (CS)   for  HB   125,  labeled  28-LS0431\C,   Bailey,                                                              
3/29/13, as the working document.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR OLSON objected for the purpose of discussion.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
4:13:25 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. MCNALLY explained  the changes incorporated into  Version C of                                                              
HB  125.    She  referred  to page  1,  line  8,  which  adds  the                                                              
language, "...  to treat a chronic  condition ..." to  specify the                                                              
types of prescription  eye drops being addressed  under this bill.                                                              
The second  change [on page 1, lines  11-14, and page  2, lines 1-                                                              
7] relates  to when  and how  many times  an early  refill can  be                                                              
requested.   Finally,  on page  2,  lines 11-12,  the proposed  CS                                                              
would  establish  an effective  date  of  January  1, 2014.    The                                                              
effective  date  was  added  to   conform  to  the  administrative                                                              
practices of  the health  insurers.   Finally, Version  C corrects                                                              
one drafting  error, which is to  change the reference  to on page                                                              
2, line 2, to "68".                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
4:14:22 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  REINBOLD moved  to adopt  Conceptual Amendment  1,                                                              
as follows:                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Page 2, line 2,                                                                                                            
          Delete "58"                                                                                                           
          Insert "68"                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
There being no objection, Conceptual Amendment 1 was adopted.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS. MCNALLY  related the fiscal  note has  also been changed  to a                                                              
zero fiscal note.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
There  being   no  further   objection,  the  proposed   committee                                                              
substitute (CS) for HB 125, Version C, was adopted.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
4:15:11 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SADDLER  asked  how many  states  have  considered                                                              
this or whether Alaska is the first to do so.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS. MCNALLY answered  that Alaska is the sixth state  to adopt the                                                              
model  changes,  with Connecticut,  New  York, Maryland,  and  New                                                              
Mexico having  adopted similar  language,  although she could  not                                                              
recall the fifth state.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:15:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SCOTT  LINDSTROM, Ophthalmologist;  President,  Alaska Society  of                                                              
Eye  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  stated  that the  society  is  in                                                              
support of the bill.   The bill would provide  an important avenue                                                              
for  patients   to  obtain   refills  when   they  run   short  on                                                              
medications, which  is not uncommon.  Frequently,  patients may go                                                              
as  long as  several weeks  without their  daily medication  until                                                              
they  can obtain  a  refill.   This  bill would  primarily  affect                                                              
patients  with glaucoma  and a few  other eye  diseases which  can                                                              
cause  irreversible damage  to the  patients'  optical nerve  with                                                              
lapses  in medication.    In conclusion,  he  offered support  for                                                              
HB 125.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  OLSON,  after  first  determining  no one  else  wished  to                                                              
testify, closed public testimony on HB 125.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:17:39 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  REINBOLD moved  to report  the proposed  committee                                                              
substitute  (CS)   for  HB   125,  labeled  28-LS0431\C,   Bailey,                                                              
3/29/13,   as   amended,   out  of   committee   with   individual                                                              
recommendations  and the accompanying  fiscal notes.   There being                                                              
no  objection, CSHB  125(L&C) was  reported from  the House  Labor                                                              
and Commerce Standing Committee.