PEIA members — and those on private healthcare plans — who rely on insulin will have their co-pays capped, though the limit is higher than they would desire.
House Bill 4543 cleared the Legislature on Saturday night, in the final hour before the midnight deadline. If the bill becomes law, the cap will be $100 for a 30-day supply, the amount set by a Senate amendment. As MetroNews reports, House supporters wanted the lower cap, but also didn’t want the bill to die altogether.
Senate Bill 217, which would require the require the PEIA and other health insurance providers to provide mental health parity between behavioral health, mental health, substance use disorders, and medical and surgical procedures, was also sent to the governor. The Senate unanimously concurred with House amendments and passed the bill.
Gov. Jim Justice has 15 days (excluding Sundays) to either sign or veto the bill, or let it take effect without his signature.
Earlier in the week, SB 312, relating to the provisional licensure of social workers, has been completed and is heading to the governor for his signature. So did SB 339, a wide-ranging DHHR rules package, and HB 4581, which includes DHHR employees in the West Virginia Clearance for Access: Registry and Employment Screening process.
HB 2497, which strengthened the whistleblower law and was supported by UE Local 170, was signed into law earlier in the session.
Two Senate-passed bills opposed by UE Local 170 leadership didn’t make it to the House floor in the final week — SB 616, which would have placed constraints on the grievance procedure, and SB 820, which would have allowed the DHHR to transfer facilities such as our state hospitals.