Transcript Slide 1

Arthritis Foundation
Arthritis Ambassador Briefing
Dial In: 1-866-487-9460
Participant Code: 931 709 2991#
Materials available for download at
http://www.arthritis.org/ambassador_assignment.php
September 11, 2013
3PM Eastern
Agenda
• Welcome & August Recap – Laurie Markle, Manager Grassroots
Advocacy
• Ambassador Experience– Hanna Gruen (PA-14)
• How Limiting Cost Sharing for Specialty Drugs would Impact
Insurance Premiums- Maria Spencer, Director Federal Affairs
• September Ambassador Assignment– Laurie Markle
• Reporting Your Activity– Laurie Markle
• Housekeeping– Laurie Markle
• Q&A
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August Recess Recap
Cosponsors
Awareness
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Pass HR
1827
August Recess Recap
33 Congressional Meetings & Town Halls
Results pending. Email to follow.
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Ambassador Experience
On the phone:
Hanna Gruen, PA-14 Ambassador
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HR 460 Impact on Premiums
The Problem: Health insurance companies are placing vital, lifechanging and life-saving medications including biologics on specialty
tiers and charging a co-insurance or percentage of the cost of the drug,
instead of a copay.
This practice is placing a substantial financial burden on patients.
Some patients may pay hundreds or thousands of dollars per month for
a medication that was traditionally on a fixed co-pay.
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HR 460 Impact on Premiums
The Solution: The Patients’ Access to Treatments Act (H.R. 460):
Requires plans to limit cost sharing requirements for specialty drug tiers
to the level of cost sharing required for non-preferred brand drug tiers;
there can be no more than a 10% difference in total dollar cost sharing
for any drugs on a tier.
Drug Type
Example Patient Out-of-Pocket Expense
Tier 1: Generic
$10
Tier 2: Preferred Brand Name
$30
Tier 3: Nonpreferred Brand Name $50 (limits range to 10%: $50-55)
Tier 4: Specialty Tier Drug
Cost sharing can be no greater than Tier 3
out of pocket expense.
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HR 460 Impact on Premiums
Arthritis Foundation and 22 other organizations formed the
Coalition for Accessible Treatments (CAT) in support of the
Patients’ Access to Treatments Act (H.R. 460)
CAT commissioned a study to address Congressional concerns
about PATA’s impact on premiums.
Study Conclusion:
Limiting Specialty Drug Coinsurance does not have a large impact on premiums.
The bill would increase premium costs by $3 per year, absent any other changes
to the average benefit design.
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HR 460 Impact on Premiums
What are we doing?
• CAT hosted a press conference to release study results Sept.
10th
• CAT will host a Senate briefing Sept. 19th
• Goal: gain additional co-sponsors in the House; Senate bill
introduced
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September Ambassador
Assignment
We need Senate Health Legislative Assistants at the Briefing on September 19th!
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
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CALLS & EMAILS
CALLS & EMALS
PRESS
EVENT
CALLS & EMAILS
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AMBASSADOR
BRIEFING
CALLS & EMAILS
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CALLS & EMAILS
SENATE
BRIEFING
CALLS & EMALS
CALLS & EMAILS
September Ambassador
Assignment
Call your Senate Health Legislative Assistants
and request their attendance at the September
19th Briefing
If you leave a message and don’t hear back
within 3 days, email them.
Report POSITIVE RSVPs to Geoff Steber at
[email protected]
Report your activity to arthritis.org/report
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September Assignment: First
Steps
Identify your 2 Senators @ Senate.gov
Visit your Senator’s website and identify their
DC phone number @ bottom of page
Call and ask to speak with the Health
Legislative Assistant.
Share prepared voicemail. Follow up with an
email.
If you don’t know the email address, email
[email protected] or [email protected]
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September Ambassador
Assignment
Accessing the resources you need
www.arthritis.org/ambassador_assignment.php
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Reporting Your Activity
POSTIVE RSVPs should be reported to Geoff
Steber at [email protected]
Report your activity & receive credit at
www.arthritis.org/report
• Username: Your email address
• Password: Last Name
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Housekeeping
Remaining Ambassador Briefings:
October 2, 2013 @ 3PM Eastern
November 6, 2013 @ 3PM Eastern
Ambassador Awards are awarded annually
based on activity reported October-October.
2013 Award recipients will be announced
at the November 6th briefing.
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