Senior Pharmaceutical Assistance Act.

1. Law
2. Illinois Compiled Statutes
3. AGING
4. Senior Pharmaceutical Assistance Act.

(320 ILCS 50/1)

Sec. 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Senior Pharmaceutical Assistance Act.

(Source: P.A. 92-594, eff. 6-27-02.)

 

(320 ILCS 50/5)

Sec. 5. Findings. The General Assembly finds:

(1) Senior citizens identify pharmaceutical assistance as the single most critical factor to their health, well-being, and continued independence.

(2) The State of Illinois currently operates 2 pharmaceutical assistance programs that benefit seniors: (i) the program of pharmaceutical assistance under the Senior Citizens and Persons with Disabilities Property Tax Relief Act and (ii) the Aid to the Aged, Blind, or Disabled program under the Illinois Public Aid Code. The State has been given authority to establish a third program, SeniorRx Care, through a federal Medicaid waiver.

(3) Each year, numerous pieces of legislation are filed seeking to establish additional pharmaceutical assistance benefits for seniors or to make changes to the existing programs.

(4) Establishment of a pharmaceutical assistance review committee will ensure proper coordination of benefits, diminish the likelihood of duplicative benefits, and ensure that the best interests of seniors are served.

(5) In addition to the State pharmaceutical assistance programs, several private entities, such as drug manufacturers and pharmacies, also offer prescription drug discount or coverage programs.

(6) Many seniors are unaware of the myriad of public and private programs available to them.

(7) Establishing a pharmaceutical clearinghouse with a toll-free hot-line and local outreach workers will educate seniors about the vast array of options available to them and enable seniors to make an educated and informed choice that is best for them.

(8) Estimates indicate that almost one-third of senior citizens lack prescription drug coverage. The federal government, states, and the pharmaceutical industry each have a role in helping these uninsured seniors gain access to life-saving medications.

(9) The State of Illinois has recognized its obligation to assist Illinois' neediest seniors in purchasing prescription medications, and it is now time for pharmaceutical manufacturers to recognize their obligation to make their medications affordable to seniors.

(Source: P.A. 99-143, eff. 7-27-15.)

 

(320 ILCS 50/10)

Sec. 10. Definitions. In this Act:

"Manufacturer" includes:

• (1) An entity that is engaged in (a) the production, preparation, propagation, compounding, conversion, or processing of prescription drug products (i) directly or indirectly by extraction from substances of natural origin, (ii) independently by means of chemical synthesis, or (iii) by combination of extraction and chemical synthesis; or (b) the packaging, repackaging, labeling or re-labeling, or distribution of prescription drug products.
• (2) The entity holding legal title to or possession of the national drug code number for the covered prescription drug.

The term does not include a wholesale distributor of drugs, drugstore chain organization, or retail pharmacy licensed by the State. The term also does not include anyone who is engaged in the packaging, repackaging, or labeling of drugs only to the extent permitted under the Illinois Drug Reuse Opportunity Program Act.

"Prescription drug" means a drug that may be dispensed only upon prescription by an authorized prescriber and that is approved for safety and effectiveness as a prescription drug under Section 505 or 507 of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.

"Senior citizen" or "senior" means a person 65 years of age or older.

(Source: P.A. 102-389, eff. 1-1-22.)

 

(320 ILCS 50/15)

Sec. 15. (Repealed).

(Source: P.A. 97-128, eff. 7-14-11. Repealed by P.A. 98-8, eff. 5-3-13.)

 

(320 ILCS 50/20)

Sec. 20. Senior Health Assistance Program.

(a) The Senior Health Assistance Program is created within the Department on Aging, to become operational within 90 days after the effective date of this Act. The Senior Health Assistance Program shall provide outreach and education to senior citizens on available prescription drug coverage and discount programs.

(b) The Senior Health Assistance Program shall operate a Clearinghouse for all information regarding prescription drug coverage programs available to senior citizens in Illinois. The Clearinghouse shall operate in conjunction with the Department's toll-free senior information program.

(c) The purposes of the Clearinghouse include, but are not limited to:

• (1) Maintaining information on public and private prescription assistance programs for Illinois seniors.
• (2) Educating citizens on available public and private prescription assistance programs.
• (3) Educating seniors on how to make an informed decision about participation in prescription drug assistance programs.

(d) The Clearinghouse has the following duties:

• (1) Provide a one-stop resource for all information for seniors regarding public and private prescription drug discount and coverage programs.
• (2) Perform outreach and education activities on public and private prescription drug discount and coverage programs.
• (3) Maintain a toll-free telephone number staffed by trained customer service representatives.
• (4) Maintain measurable data to identify the progress and success of the program, including, but not limited to, the number of individuals served, the type of assistance received, and overall program evaluation.

(e) The Department shall work cooperatively with other Departments that fund senior health assistance, including assistance with prescription drugs, to ensure maximum coordination.

(Source: P.A. 92-594, eff. 6-27-02.)

 

(320 ILCS 50/25)

Sec. 25. Study of catastrophic pharmaceutical assistance coverage.

(a) The Illinois Comprehensive Health Insurance Board shall study a catastrophic pharmaceutical assistance coverage option. The Board may contract with a private entity for the completion of all or part of the study. Specifically, the study shall:

• (1) Assess the need for a catastrophic pharmaceutical assistance coverage option, including information on the number of individuals in need of such a benefit.
• (2) Estimate the cost of providing a catastrophic pharmaceutical assistance coverage option through the Illinois Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan or another public or private entity.
• (3) Recommend ways to create a catastrophic pharmaceutical assistance coverage option.

(b) The Board may accept donations, in trust, from any legal source, public or private, for deposit into a specially created trust account and for expenditure, without the necessity of being appropriated, solely for the purpose of conducting all or part of the study.

(c) The Board may enter into intergovernmental agreements with other State agencies for the purpose of conducting all or part of the study.

(d) The Board shall issue a report with recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by January 1, 2003.

(Source: P.A. 92-594, eff. 6-27-02.)

 

(320 ILCS 50/99)

Sec. 99. Effective Date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.

(Source: P.A. 92-594, eff. 6-27-02.)

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