093_SB1531
LRB093 10834 MKM 11292 b
1 AN ACT concerning health care.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 5. The Illinois Act on Aging is amended by adding
5 Section 8.08 as follows:
6 (20 ILCS 105/8.08 new)
7 Sec. 8.08. Medassist board.
8 (a) Declaration and purpose.
9 (1) The General Assembly hereby declares that the
10 rising cost of prescription medications has imposed a
11 significant hardship on individuals who are on limited
12 budgets and who possess no insurance coverage for
13 prescription medications. As a consequence, a serious
14 public health concern in the State has resulted. It is
15 the public policy of the State to assist persons in need
16 of prescription medications for the maintenance or
17 restoration of their health.
18 (2) The purpose of this Act is (i) to award grants
19 to organizations for the purpose of assisting individuals
20 in accessing free and discounted prescription programs
21 offered by pharmaceutical manufacturers and others; (ii)
22 to explore, develop, and implement innovative strategies
23 for the purpose of managing the rising costs of
24 prescription medications and increasing access to
25 prescription medications by individuals with an inability
26 to pay for them; and (iii) to compile data and
27 information regarding the costs of prescription
28 medications and related matters.
29 (b) Illinois Medassist Board. There is hereby created
30 the Illinois Medassist Board. The Board shall be chaired by
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1 the Director of Aging and in addition shall include the
2 Director of Public Aid, the Secretary of Human Services, the
3 Director of Central Management Services, the Comptroller, the
4 Treasurer, and the Director of Public Health. The Board shall
5 also include 4 public members appointed by the Director of
6 Aging. The public members shall serve 3-year terms and may be
7 re-appointed for an unlimited number of terms.
8 (c) Responsibilities of the Board.
9 (1) The responsibilities of the Board include, but
10 are not limited to, the following: (i) coordinating and
11 promoting services of organizations throughout the State
12 that assist individuals in accessing prescription
13 medications offered for free or at reduced prices by
14 pharmaceutical manufacturers in order to ensure that
15 citizens in all parts of the State have access to
16 prescription drugs; (ii) seeking and receiving funds that
17 may available from private and public sources for
18 prescription medication assistance; (iii) awarding
19 grants, pursuant to available appropriations and other
20 funds received for purposes of this Section, to community
21 or statewide organizations for the purpose of assisting
22 individuals in accessing free and discount prescription
23 programs offered by pharmaceutical manufacturers and
24 others; (iv) providing technical assistance and training
25 to help build the capacity of communities, organizations,
26 and systems to develop, implement, and evaluate
27 prescription medication assistance programs; and (v)
28 notifying the public of programs that offer assistance to
29 qualified individuals to obtain prescription medications
30 for free or at reduced prices.
31 (2) The Board may use a reasonable amount of funds
32 from the Medassist Fund for costs associated with the
33 administration of this Section. The chairperson of the
34 Board may appoint an Executive Director or contract with
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1 a not-for-profit or other agency for any or all of these
2 administrative functions.
3 (d) Medassist Fund. The Medassist Fund is created as a
4 special fund in the State Treasury into which funds received
5 from private, State, or federal sources specifically for
6 prescription medication assistance may be deposited, and from
7 which funds shall be appropriated by the General Assembly to
8 the Illinois Medassist Board.
9 Section 10. The State Finance Act is amended by adding
10 Section 5.595 as follows:
11 (30 ILCS 105/5.95 new)
12 Sec. 5.595. The Medassist Fund.