Posted on July 24, 2020
On Thursday, July 23, State Representative Dave Yaccarino (R-87) attended a special legislative session that was assembled to address four proposals before the legislature:
• An Act Concerning Telehealth
• An Act Concerning Absentee Voting and Reporting of Results at the 2020 State Election and Election and Election Day Registration
• An Act Concerning Police Accountability
• An Act Concerning Diabetes and High Deductible Health Plans
One of the proposals, ” An Act Concerning Diabetes and High Deductible Health Plans,” also known as the “insulin bill”, is a concept that Yaccarino co-sponsored. Along with making it more affordable for individuals with diabetes to acquire medicine or supplies, the bill “requires pharmacists, in certain emergency situations, to prescribe and dispense up to a 30-day supply of certain diabetes related drugs and devices, including diabetic ketoacidosis devices, to a patient in a 12-month period, limits how much pharmacists can charge for the emergency drugs and supplies in these situations, and expands the prescription drug monitoring program to include them.”
“I believe that when it comes to life-saving medications and supplies, we must absolutely ensure that those who need them, have access to them – it’s that simple. No individual should have to worry about rationing out their life-saving medications or have to choose between life and death as a result of not having or being able to afford the medicine they need,” said State Representative Dave Yaccarino.
Yaccarino also voted in favor of HB 6001 – An Act Concerning Telehealth, which modifies requirements for the delivery of telehealth services and insurance coverage until March 15, 2021. This legislation allows certain telehealth providers to offer telehealth services using audio-only telephone, and additional information and communication technologies in accordance with federal requirements like Apple’s Facetime or Zoom. The bill also requires insurance coverage for these covered telehealth services and prohibits providers reimbursed for services from seeking payment from an insured patient beyond cost sharing, among other things.