House Bill 1833

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                HB 1833

        By Representative Kelly






  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to identification cards for

  3         pharmacy benefits; providing definitions;

  4         requiring administrators of certain insurance

  5         plans to issue identification cards to covered

  6         individuals; specifying required information;

  7         prohibiting pharmacy benefit managers from

  8         selling lists of patients which contain certain

  9         information; providing exceptions; providing

10         application; requiring certain health benefit

11         plans to issue identification cards to plan

12         enrollees; specifying required information;

13         providing exceptions; requiring the Department

14         of Insurance to adopt rules; providing an

15         effective date.

16

17  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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19         Section 1.  (1)(a)  For purposes of this subsection:

20         1.  "Administrator" has the same meaning as that

21  provided in s. 626.88, Florida Statutes, but also applies to

22  pharmacy benefits.

23         2.  "Pharmacy benefit manager" means a person, other

24  than a pharmacy or pharmacist, who acts as an administrator in

25  connection with pharmacy benefits.

26         3.  "Plan" means a plan, fund, or program established,

27  adopted, or maintained by a plan sponsor or insurer to the

28  extent the plan, fund, or program is established, adopted, or

29  maintained to provide indemnification or expense reimbursement

30  for any type of life, health, or accident benefit. For

31  purposes of this definition, the term "plan sponsor" means a

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  1  person, other than an insurer, who establishes, adopts, or

  2  maintains a plan that covers residents of this state,

  3  including a plan established, adopted, or maintained by two or

  4  more employers or jointly by one or more employers and one or

  5  more employee organizations, an association, a committee, a

  6  joint board of trustees, or any similar group or

  7  representative who establishes, adopts, or maintains a plan.

  8         (b)1.  Except as provided by rules adopted by the

  9  Department of Insurance, an administrator for a plan that

10  provides pharmacy benefits shall issue an identification card

11  to each individual covered by the plan.

12         2.  The Department of Insurance shall adopt standard

13  information to be included on the identification card.  At

14  minimum, the standard form for the identification card shall

15  include:

16         a.  The name or logo of the entity that is

17  administering the pharmacy benefits.

18         b.  The International Identification Number that is

19  assigned by the American National Standards Institute for the

20  entity that is administering the pharmacy benefits.

21         c.  The group number applicable to the individual.

22         d.  The effective date of the coverage evidenced by the

23  card.

24         e.  A telephone number to be used to contact an

25  appropriate person to obtain information relating to the

26  pharmacy benefits provided under the coverage.

27         f.  Copayment information for generic and brand-name

28  prescription drugs.

29         3.  An administrator for a plan that provides pharmacy

30  benefits shall issue an identification card to an individual

31  not later than the 30th day after the date the administrator

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                HB 1833

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  1  receives notice that the individual is eligible for the

  2  benefits.

  3         (c)1.  A pharmacy benefit manager may not sell any list

  4  of patients that contains information through which the

  5  identities of individual patients are disclosed.

  6         2.  All data maintained by the pharmacy benefit manager

  7  that identifies a patient shall be maintained in a

  8  confidential manner that prevents disclosure to third parties,

  9  unless the disclosure is otherwise authorized by law or by the

10  patient.

11         3.  This paragraph does not prohibit:

12         a.  General advertising about a specific pharmaceutical

13  product or service;

14         b.  A person from requesting and receiving information

15  regarding a specific pharmaceutical product or service; or

16         c.  A person from requesting and receiving information

17  regarding the person's own records or claims, or information

18  regarding the person's dependent's records or claims.

19         (d)1.  This subsection applies only to a person acting

20  as an administrator with respect to pharmacy benefits on or

21  after January 1, 2000.  A person acting as an administrator

22  with respect to pharmacy benefits before January 1, 2000, is

23  governed by the law as it existed immediately prior to the

24  effective date of this act and that law is continued in effect

25  for that purpose.

26         2.  An administrator is not required to issue a new

27  identification card to an individual, as required by paragraph

28  (b), if the identification card held by the individual on the

29  effective date of this act contains the elements described in

30  sub-subparagraphs (b)2.b., c., d., and e.  A new card

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  1  complying with paragraph (b) shall be issued at the time the

  2  individual's coverage is modified.

  3         (2)(a)1.  This subsection applies to any health benefit

  4  plan which provides benefits for medical or surgical expenses

  5  incurred as a result of a health condition, accident, or

  6  sickness, including an individual, group, blanket, or

  7  franchise insurance policy or insurance agreement, a group

  8  hospital service contract, or an individual or group evidence

  9  of coverage or similar coverage document that is offered by

10  any of the following entities operating under the Florida

11  Insurance Code:

12         a.  An insurance company.

13         b.  A group hospital service corporation.

14         c.  A fraternal benefit society.

15         d.  A stipulated premium insurance company.

16         e.  A reciprocal exchange.

17         f.  A health maintenance organization.

18         g.  A multiple employer welfare arrangement.

19         h.  An approved nonprofit health corporation.

20         2.  This subsection does not apply to:

21         a.  A plan that provides coverage:

22         (I)  Only for a specified disease or other limited

23  benefit;

24         (II)  Only for accidental death or dismemberment;

25         (III)  For wages or payments in lieu of wages for a

26  period during which an employee is absent from work because of

27  sickness or injury;

28         (IV)  As a supplement to liability insurance;

29         (V)  For credit insurance;

30         (VI)  Only for dental or vision care;

31         (VII)  Only for hospital expenses; or

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  1         (VIII)  Only for indemnity for hospital confinement;

  2         b.  A small employer health benefit plan;

  3         c.  A Medicare supplemental policy as defined by s.

  4  1882(g)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. s. 1395ss);

  5         d.  Workers' compensation insurance coverage;

  6         e.  Medical payment insurance coverage issued as part

  7  of a motor vehicle insurance policy; or

  8         f.  A long-term care policy, including a nursing home

  9  fixed indemnity policy, unless the Insurance Commissioner

10  determines that the policy provides benefit coverage so

11  comprehensive that the policy is a health benefit plan as

12  described in subparagraph 1.

13         (b)  A health benefit plan that provides pharmacy

14  benefits for enrollees in the plan shall include on the

15  identification card of each enrollee:

16         1.  The name or logo of the entity that is

17  administering the pharmacy benefits, if different from the

18  health benefit plan.

19         2.  The group number applicable to the individual.

20         3.  The effective date of the coverage evidenced by the

21  card.

22         4.  A telephone number to be used to contact an

23  appropriate person to obtain information relating to the

24  pharmacy benefits provided under the coverage.

25         5.  Copayment information for generic and brand-name

26  prescription drugs.

27         (c)  This subsection does not require a health benefit

28  plan that administers its own pharmacy benefits to issue an

29  identification card separate from any identification card

30  issued to an enrollee to evidence coverage under the health

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    Florida House of Representatives - 2000                HB 1833

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  1  benefit plan, if the identification card contains the elements

  2  required by paragraph (b).

  3         (d)  A health benefit plan is not required to issue a

  4  new identification card to an enrollee, as required by

  5  paragraph (b), if the identification card held by the enrollee

  6  on the effective date of this act contains the elements

  7  described by subparagraphs (b)2., 3., 4., and 5.  A new card

  8  complying with paragraph (b) shall be issued at the time the

  9  enrollee's coverage is modified.

10         (3)  RULES.--The Department of Insurance shall adopt

11  any rules necessary to implement this act.

12         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

13  law.

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15            *****************************************

16                          HOUSE SUMMARY

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      Requires insurance plans and health benefit plans which
18    provide pharmacy benefits to provide identification cards
      disclosing information relating to pharmacy benefits
19    under the plan to covered individuals or enrollees. See
      bill for details.
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