2014 SB215 & 217

Everyone Working in Maryland,

Or Who Will Ever Work in Maryland

January 26, 2014

Synopsis: Legislative bills have been introduced that will eliminate insurance coverage for doctor prescribed and dispensed medications after 30 days for anyone in Maryland who is injured on the job (Workers Compensation Insurance) in any profession. This includes anyone who has, or will contract Lyme and/or other tick borne diseases in the future.

The State's largest worker's compensation insurer (IWIF / Chesapeake Employer's Insurance Company) boasts in its 2012 annual report that it saved $5.5 million dollars in one year alone just by tracking and intervening in the dispensing of medications by providers, reducing fees paid to doctors, and by the use of "guidelines". IWIF's assets were reported to be $1,844,770,793 that same year.

Changing laws that currently provide coverage for life-saving medications for people who are injured, sick or disabled on the job, for no other reason than to increase insurer's assets, is unconscionable. These bills do not provide any savings for employers who are paying the mandated premiums to insurers.

If passed, we will having a growing population of Maryland residents who are injured and can't work due to their injuries, and as a result can't afford medications needed to help them recover and get back to work. Laws similar to these have passed in a few states already. Let's not allow insurers to eliminate benefits that we currently have that were specifically designed to help Maryland workers injured in an accident.

ACTION NEEDED (by February 6, 2014):

Please contact as many members of the Senate Finance Committee as you can and tell them to "vote NO on SB0215 and SB0217". If you want to add more to your "NO" messages, see the letter linked below for talking points.

Senate Finance Committee- contact (email / phone) information here or see list of emails below to copy and paste all at one time:

http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmMain.aspx?pid=cmtepage&stab=04&id=fin&tab=subject3&ys=2014RS

Then please contact the members of the House Health & Government Committee and Economic Matters Committee and tell them to "vote "NO on HB0280 and HB0281". Contact information below.

House Health & Government Operations Committee:

http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmMain.aspx?pid=cmtepage&stab=04&id=hgo&tab=subject3&ys=2014RS

House Economic Matters Committee:

http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmMain.aspx?pid=cmtepage&stab=04&id=ecm&tab=subject3&ys=2014RS

WHY these bills are NOT in the best interest of Maryland residents.

See "talking points" here:

https://sites.google.com/site/lymelegislation/2014-sbo215-sbo217/letter-to-house-committees

That's it for now!

We appreciate your help!

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

Senate Finance Committee Members- Click, or Copy and Paste in One Email

thomas.mcclain.middleton@senate.state.md.us, john.astle@senate.state.md.us, david.brinkley@senate.state.md.us, barry.glassman@senate.state.md.us, brian.feldman@senate.state.md.us, delores.kelley@senate.state.md.us, allan.kittleman@senate.state.md.us, katherine.klausmeier@senate.state.md.us, james.mathias@senate.state.md.us, catherine.pugh@senate.state.md.us, victor.ramirez@senate.state.md.us

House Health & Government Operations Committee- Click, or Copy & Paste in One Email

House Economic Matters Committee- Click, or Copy & Paste ALL in One Email

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Hearings: The first hearing (SB0215) is scheduled for February 6, 2014. Please try to get your "NO" vote in to the Committee members by that time. Thank you!

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More Information on the Bills

SB0215 Synopsis- Prohibiting employers or their insurers, except under specified circumstances, from being required to pay for prescriptions that are dispensed by physicians to covered employees who have suffered accidental personal injuries, compensable hernias, or occupational diseases.

SBo217 Synopsis- Prohibiting employers or their insurers from being required to pay under workers' compensation law for a controlled dangerous substance [pain medication] that is prescribed by a physician for covered employees who have suffered accidental personal injuries, compensable hernias, or occupational diseases; etc.

Up to Date Summary of SB0215: http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmMain.aspx?id=sb0215&stab=01&pid=billpage&tab=subject3&ys=2014RS

Bill Wording SB0215:

http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2014RS/bills/sb/sb0215F.pdf

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Up To Date Summary of SB0217:

http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmMain.aspx?id=sb0217&stab=01&pid=billpage&tab=subject3&ys=2014RS

Bill Wording SBo217:

http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2014RS/bills/sb/sb0217F.pdf

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Up to Date Summary of HB0280:

http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmMain.aspx?id=hb0280&stab=01&pid=billpage&tab=subject3&ys=2014RS

Bill Wording HB0280:

http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2014RS/bills/hb/hb0280F.pdf

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Up to Date Summary of HB0281:

http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmMain.aspx?pid=billpage&tab=subject3&id=hb0281&stab=01&ys=2014RS

Bill Wording HB0281:

http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2014RS/bills/hb/hb0281F.pdf

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2013 Fiscal & Policy Notes for SB0215 / HB0280 (2014 versions not available at this time):

http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2013RS/fnotes/bil_0007/sb0247.pdf

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History

Workers' Compensation - Payment for Physician-Dispensed Prescriptions - Limitations

In 2013 Senator Klausmeier introduced SB0247, basically the same bill as the new 2014 version, SB0215. It did not pass. History of the actions taken can be found here:

http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmMain.aspx?pid=billpage&stab=03&id=sb0247&tab=subject3&ys=2013RS

In 2014 Senator Klausmeier introduced the same bill with one small change (72 hours changed to 30 days), and HB0217.

In 2014 Delegate Jameson introduced HB0280 & HB0281 as companion bills to the Senate versions.

Sponsor- Senator Klausmeier- is the Senate Chair for the Worker's Compensation Insurance Oversight Committee.

She is also one of eleven members of the Senate Finance Committee, where her bills have been assigned.

Sponsor- Delegate Jameson- is the House Chair for the Worker's Compensation Insurance Oversight Committee.

She is also one of twenty-four members of the House Economic Matters Committee, where her bills have been assigned. She is not a member of the House Health & Government Operations Committee, where her bills have also been assigned.