2009 Colorado Legislation
Stripping $20 Million from Cancer Programs - Senate Bill 271
Raiding all Money from Tobacco Tax Fund - Senate Joint Resolution 35
Clinical Trials Bill - HB 1059
"Committed to a Cure" License Plate Bill - HB 1164
Oral Chemotherapy - SB 250
Senate Bill 271
This bill would cut $20 million dollars from life saving health programs funded by Amendment 35 Tobacco Tax dollars.
If this $20 million dollar cut moves forward, programs like the Colorado Quit Line and the State Colorectal Screening Program will be jeopardized.
These programs are helping to reduce the burden of $1.3 billion dollars a year that tobacco use puts on the Colorado health care system. Additionally, this would provide a way for the uninsured to be screened and treated for Colorectal Cancer at the earliest stage when it is most treatable.
04/06/2009 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Appropriations
04/06/2009 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Appropriations
04/07/2009 Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
04/09/2009 Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments
04/13/2009 Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations
04/13/2009 Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations
04/13/2009 Senate Third Reading Passed
04/14/2009 House Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
04/15/2009 House Second Reading Laid Over Daily
04/16/2009 House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments
04/17/2009 House Third Reading Passed
04/21/2009 Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Not Concur - Request Conference Committee
04/27/2009 First Conference Committee Result was to Adopt Rerevised w/ Amendments
Senate Joint Resolution 35
In 2004, by a 2 to 1 margin Colorado voters enacted Amendment 35, an excise tax on tobacco products. The constitutional amendment requires funds to be dedicated to four areas: Tobacco prevention and cessation programs; the prevention, early detection and treatment of cancer, cardiovascular, and pulmonary diseases; comprehensive primary care through clinics; and public health insurance expansion.
Senate Joint Resolution 35, included in the budget package, would allow for a raid on ALL Tobacco Tax (Amendment 35) funded programs by declaring a fiscal emergency.
04/06/2009 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Appropriations
04/06/2009 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Appropriations
04/07/2009 Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole
04/13/2009 Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations
04/13/2009 Introduced In House - Assigned to Appropriations
04/13/2009 Senate Third Reading Reconsidered
04/13/2009 Senate Third Reading Passed
04/13/2009 Senate Third Reading Passed
04/14/2009 House Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole
04/16/2009 House Third Reading Passed
04/22/2009 Signed by the President of the Senate
04/22/2009 Signed by the Speaker of the House
04/24/2009 Sent to the Governor
04/28/2009 Governor Action - Signed
HB 09-1059
Introduced by Representative Primavera, would require that all private health insurance plans regulated by the state, continue to cover the routine patient care costs for policy holders who chose to enroll in a clinical trial. Due to the experimental and investigational nature of drugs and devices tested in clinical trails, insurers can be inconsistent about continuing to provide coverage for the routine care a patient needs while being enrolled in a clinical trial.
This bill does NOT ask that insurers cover the investigational drug or device itself, as this is typically covered by the sponsor of the trial. The bill only requires that insurers continue to provide all services that would be covered under the individual's policy regardless of their enrollment in the clinical trial.
01/07/2009 Introduced In House - Assigned to Health and Human Services
02/02/2009 House Committee on Health and Human Services Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
02/06/2009 House Second Reading Laid Over to 02/13/2009
02/13/2009 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
02/16/2009 House Third Reading Passed
02/18/2009 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Health and Human Services
03/05/2009 Senate Committee on Health and Human Services Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole
03/10/2009 Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily
03/13/2009 Senate Second Reading Passed
03/16/2009 Senate Third Reading Passed
04/23/2009 Signed by the Speaker of the House
04/27/2009 Signed by the President of the Senate
04/27/2009 Sent to the Governor
HB 09-1164
Introduced by Representative Diane Primavera, would add an additional $25 dollar surcharge on to the "Committed to a Cure" breast cancer license plate. The additional revenue would be used to pay for an eligibility expansion for the Breast and Cervical Cancer Medicaid Treatment program when funds become sufficient and sustainable within the account.
Currently, a woman MUST be screened through the state's screening program (Women's Wellness Connection) in order to be eligible for treatment coverage through the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Program. In other words, if a woman meet ALL qualifying criteria for enrollment in the Treatment Program but was screened at a clinic outside of the Women's Wellness Connection, she WILL NOT qualify for treatment coverage.
The goal of this legislation is to raise enough dollars through the license plate surcharge as well as additional private donations, to expand eligibility for the Treatment Program so that women meeting all other qualifying criteria can receive coverage for treatment, regardless of where they were screened.
01/14/2009 Introduced In House - Assigned to Transportation & Energy + Appropriations
02/12/2009 House Committee on Transportation & Energy Refer Amended to Appropriations
03/06/2009 House Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
03/12/2009 House Second Reading Passed with Amendments
03/13/2009 House Third Reading Laid Over to 03/16/2009
03/16/2009 House Third Reading Passed
03/16/2009 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Transportation + Finance + Appropriations
03/24/2009 Senate Committee on Transportation Refer Amended to Finance
03/26/2009 Senate Committee on Finance Refer Unamended to Appropriations
04/24/2009 Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
04/28/2009 Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments
04/29/2009 Senate Third Reading Passed
04/30/2009 House Considered Senate Amendments - Result was to Not Concur - Request Conference Committee
04/30/2009 First Conference Committee Result was to Adopt Rerevised w/ Amendments
05/01/2009 House Consideration of First Conference Committee Report result was to Adopt Committee Report - Repass
05/01/2009 Senate Consideration of First Conference Committee Report result was to Adopt Committee Report - Repass
05/01/2009 Signed by the President of the Senate
05/01/2009 Signed by the Speaker of the House
05/01/2009 Sent to the Governor
Click HERE to watch a news video of the committee hearing on 3.24.2009. Watch our very own ACS CAN member, Melissa Windholz, testify at the fifty-five second mark.
Oral Chemotherapy; Position Statement on SB 09-250
The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network stands in support of SB 250 and thanks Senator Tochtrop and Representative Primavera for moving this critical issue forward for cancer patients.
It is important for Colorado state law to allow for the appropriate and affordable treatment of cancer. As it is presently treated under Medicare, we are asking that oral chemotherapy drugs remain as a medical benefit in private health insurance plans and not be moved to a prescription drug benefit where patients have to pay higher co-pays and are exempt from out-of-pocket yearly maximums.
Beyond the obvious cost issue, it is also a quality of life issue. Oral chemotherapy often has less severe side effects and allows the patient (along with the person who has to give him/her the ride) to not have to travel to and from an IV chemo treatment. In a state like Colorado, that can sometimes mean hundreds of miles, roundtrip, for those in rural areas.
Private insurance often takes its cue from Medicare regarding coverage and we are only asking that oral chemotherapy drugs continue to be paid in private health insurance plans as a medical benefit, as it is under Medicare, and not be moved to a prescription drug benefit.
Update: 03/16/2009 Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Health and Human Services + Appropriations
03/25/2009 Senate Committee on Health and Human Services Refer Amended to Appropriations
04/15/2009 Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole
04/17/2009 Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily
04/21/2009 Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments
04/24/2009 Introduced In House - Assigned to State, Veterans, & Military Affairs + Health and Human Services + Appropriations
04/24/2009 Senate Third Reading Passed
04/30/2009 House Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Refer Amended to Appropriations
05/01/2009 House Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to Health and Human Services
