Report Title:

OTC Emergency Contraception; Pay for Women Medicaid Recipients

 

Description:

Requires department of human services to directly reimburse sellers of over-the-counter Plan B emergency contraception to women who are recipients of medicaid, without charge to recipients, who purchase such medication.  Makes an appropriation.  (SD1)

 

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

1114

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

relating to medicaid.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that, with the approval by the federal Food and Drug Administration of the emergency contraception tablet, Plan B, for over-the-counter sales without a prescription, women who are recipients of medicaid will now have to pay for the medication if they need it.  This development is extremely counterproductive because the female medicaid population is at high risk for unplanned pregnancies and it is precisely this group that may need to choose between paying for emergency contraception to prevent unplanned pregnancies and paying for necessities of life such as food and rent.  A single Plan B dose actually consists of two tablets that can be taken in a single dose, which costs up to $45 or more per dose.

     The purpose of this Act is to provide female medicaid recipients with access to emergency contraception.  This Act requires the department of human services to directly reimburse sellers of over-the-counter Plan B emergency contraception to women who are recipients of medicaid, without requiring out-of-pocket expenses for recipients, who purchase such medication.

     SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $          , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009, for the department of human services to directly reimburse the sellers of over-the-counter Plan B emergency contraception to women who are recipients of medicaid, without requiring out-of-pocket expenses for recipients, who purchase the medication.  The department of human services shall adopt rules in accordance with chapter 91, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to implement the reimbursement procedure.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2007.