HBA-MPM H.B. 2455 77(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2455 By: Gray Public Health 3/29/2001 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Some major pharmaceutical companies operate programs to provide free or reduced cost medications to patients who cannot afford the medications and who meet qualifying criteria. However, these patient assistance programs are not widely publicized, and many patients and physicians do not know how to access them. House Bill 2455 requires pharmaceutical companies that do business in Texas and that provide such a program to inform the Texas Department of Health (TDH) and TDH to establish a toll-free telephone number to assist patients and physicians in locating and applying for pharmaceutical assistance. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS House Bill 2455 amends the Health and Safety Code to require a pharmaceutical company that does business in Texas and that offers a patient assistance program to inform the Texas Department of Health (TDH) of the program's existence, the eligibility requirements for the program, the drugs covered by the program, and information such as a telephone number used for applying for the program. The bill requires TDH to establish a system that allows members of the public to call a toll-free telephone number to obtain information about available patient assistance programs and to ensure that the system is staffed at least during normal business hours with staff who are knowledgeable about the programs. TDH is required to publicize the telephone number to pharmacies and prescribers of drugs. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001.