General Assembly 2023 Winds Down & National Advocacy Preview
The 2023 Virginia General Assembly session should be winding down by this weekend, but without agreement on the state budget, the session will be extended. Moving bills through the divided legislature was especially tough this year given that it's an election year - all members of the General Assembly are up for re-election in November 2023. Read on for an update on how the bills that VBCF supported this year fared.
VBCF will shift focus to national-level advocacy as we head into the spring. A brief preview is included here.
General Assembly Wrap-Up
Breast Cancer-Specific Legislation
HB1815 - Health insurance coverage for diagnostic breast examinations
This bill eliminates out-of-pocket costs for patients (co-pays, coinsurance, deductibles) for diagnostic breast services including diagnostic mammography, MRIs, and ultrasounds.
Outcome: Sent to the Health Insurance Reform Commission for review. In Virginia, all legislation seeking to add benefits to health care plans that the state oversees must first be reviewed by this Commission. VBCF will work to support the bill's progress through the review process.
Pharmacist Test and Treat Legislation
This bill expands healthcare access for Virginians by allowing pharmacists to test and treat for a few, low-risk tests - strep, COVID, flu, and UTIs in those 18 and up. VBCF joined a coalition to support this legislation because we know how crucial getting quick diagnoses can be for cancer patients as they may be immunocompromised during their treatment. Pharmacies are typically much more convenient, especially for individuals in rural areas and their longer hours and weekend hours allow individuals more opportunities for treatment. Opening up access points is critical for all patients, including those with cancer.
Outcome: Great news! These bills passed their respective chambers and were combined into one bill which is now headed to Governor Youngkin for his signature!
Prescription Drug Affordability Legislation
HB1782 /SB 1482 Health insurance; ensuring fairness in cost-sharing.
VBCF is a member of the Patient Pocket Protector Coalition spearheading this legislation. These bills require Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) rebates to be passed onto patients. PBMs negotiate discounted prices from drug manufacturers for insurance companies, but those discounted prices are not passed on to the patient. This bill would require at least 80% of rebates and discounts to be passed through to patients.
Outcome: VBCF testified on behalf of HB1782 in the House Committee but it failed to move forward. On the Senate side, the bill patron chose to pull the bill and re-group for next year.
HB1596 /SB957 Prescription Drug Affordability Board and Fund
These bills establish a "Prescription Drug Affordability Board" to review high-cost prescription drugs and make recommendations for cost-caps on those drugs if the board decides the drug in question is otherwise unaffordable to consumers.
Outcome: Neither bill made it out of committee.
Budget Amendment - SB800 - Prescription Affordability Work Group
This budget amendment requires the Virginia Bureau of Insurance to convene a work group to review public policy options as they relate to out-of-pocket cost-sharing structures in insurance plans and offer solutions to overcoming patient affordability barriers for prescription drugs.
Outcome: This amendment was not included in the Senate's budget proposal
Paid Family and Medical Leave & Paid Sick Leave Legislation
Outcome: None of these bills made it out of committee.
SB1101 - This bill would establish a paid family and medical leave program in Virginia
Outcome: This bill made it out of the Senate for the first time ever, but was tabled in the House.
National Advocacy Preview
Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act Introduced for 118th Congress
VBCF has been working with the National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC) on this important bill since 2019. Last year, the bill gained 240 bi-partisan co-sponsors in Congress, including 9 Virginia legislators - the most we've ever had! The new 118th Congress began this year and so the bill was reintroduced by Reps Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY-02) and Kathy Castor (D-FL-14). HB549 eliminates the onerous waiting periods for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits and Medicare coverage for those with metastatic breast cancer. As of this writing, there are more than 65 bipartisan cosponsors for the legislation. VBCF will work to get our Virginia members of Congress on board to support this vital legislation again this year.
