Drug Formulary Bill Passes Assembly

ALBANY, NY – The New York State Assembly has passed the Mid-Year Drug Formulary bill (A.2969) sponsored by Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes. If enacted, this legislation will stop health insurers from changing their drug formularies during the health plan year.

American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) Senior New York Government Relations Director Julie Hart released the following statement:

 “A cancer diagnosis is scary enough without having to worry if you can afford your medication.  Cancer patients pick their health plan after carefully considering the coverage and cost.  It simply isn’t fair to patients when a health insurer turns around and increases the cost or drops coverage of medications during the health plan year.  Increasing the price or eliminating coverage of a drug during the plan year could force patients to switch off their current medications.

“We thank Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes for her hard work on this legislation. Once enacted, this legislation will protect patients from having coverage for these lifesaving medications changed during the coverage year. We look forward to the passage in the Senate and thank Sponsor, Senator Neil Breslin for his support.”

About ACS CAN

ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit www. fightcancer.org.

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