Previously, insurance companies were able to disregard the value of that assistance which frequently left patients responsible for their entire deductible despite the money that had already been paid to their insurance company on their behalf. The new laws in Colorado and Texas both require that when insurance companies calculate cost-sharing requirements, they include the value of the financial assistance a patient has received. Whether the financial assistance comes from a pharmaceutical company or a charitable organization, this assistance is critical and helps people access the medications they need to improve their health and quality of life. Many people with lupus rely on third-party financial assistance to afford medications prescribed by their doctors. While the exact language in each state’s legislation differs, the effect on people with lupus and other chronic conditions in Colorado and Texas will be the same – ensuring that financial assistance available to people with lupus will lower their drug costs and can be used to satisfy their deductible and other cost-sharing requirements. Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed into law HB 999 on June 10 after it was previously passed by their legislature. In Colorado, SB23-195 was passed by their legislature and signed into law by Governor Jared Polis on June 6. These policies increase patient costs and limit access to needed care. The Lupus Foundation of America has been a leading supporter of legislation to ban copay accumulators, which are insurance company policies that prevent third-party financial assistance from counting towards a patient’s annual cost-sharing requirements, including their deductible and out-of-pocket maximums. ![]() In the past week, both Colorado and Texas took major steps towards protecting the ability of people with lupus in their states to access affordable prescription medications by signing into law legislation that limits the use of copay accumulator programs.
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