California Senate Bill 1156 What is charitable premium and copay assistance? Charitable premium and co-pay assistance is a financial resource for lower-income patients who need help to afford their health insurance costs. At no cost to the public, nonprofit organizations like Patient Services Inc., the American Kidney Fund and many others provide financial support to help patients on both private and public health plans pay their monthly insurance premiums and co-pays. For patients battling rheumatoid arthritis, Gaucher’s disease, lupus, kidney failure and many other chronic diseases, access to medical treatment is essential to properly managing their conditions. Patients aren’t able to skip treatments and ignore their diseases without disastrous health consequences. Charitable financial assistance is a crucial lifeline for patients, ensuring they don’t have to choose between critical health care and paying for food or rent. Senate Bill 1156 would limit vulnerable patients from accessing lifesaving financial assistance programs and force them off of private insurance plans and onto public plans like Medicare or Medi-Cal. What Senate Bill 1156 would do: If passed, S.B. 1156 would allow insurers to kick patients off their health plans if they receive financial aid services and are eligible for Medicare or Medi-Cal, even if they have consistently paid their bills and have a fundamental right to choose a health plan that best meets their needs, whether that’s a commercial plan or a public option. S.B. 1156 would take away a patient’s choice to choose the health plan that best meets their individual and family’s needs. S.B. 1156 would disrupt care, forcing patients who are satisfied with their current health plan to switch to a different plan that might not meet their needs. S.B. 1156 would lead to higher health care costs. Charitable assistance helps patients to pay their bills at no cost to the public. Shifting them to Medicare or Medi-Cal will shift the financial burden to taxpayerfunded programs. It would also potentially lead to patients not receiving the care they need, leading to higher health care costs in the long run. What can you do? Contact your lawmakers! The bill is scheduled for a hearing on April 18 in the Senate Health Committee and it’s important that your Senators hear from you. Here are a few things you can do: 1. Contact members of the Senate Health Committee (contact info follows) via phone or email using the above information to explain why you oppose Senate Bill 1156. 2. If you use social media, tweet at members of the Senate Health Committee or tag them in Facebook posts – let them know chronic disease patients won’t allow insurance discrimination to continue. Tell them this isn’t just about dialysis patients – it’s about stand up to the insurance industry and for all patients’ rights. 3. Contact Teri Boughton, the Senate Health Committee consultant, about your concerns with this proposed policy. 4. Reach out to the Chronic Disease Coalition if you would like more information. Important Contact Information: Senator Ed Hernandez, O.D. (Chair) (916) 651-4022 Senator.hernandez@senate.ca.gov @SenatorDrEd22 Senator Janet Nguyen (Vice Chair) (916) 651-4034 Senator.nguyen@senate.ca.gov @SenJanetNguyen Senator Connie M. Leyva (916) 651-4020 Senator.leyva@senate.ca.gov @Senator Leyva Senator Holly J. Mitchell (916) 651-4030 Senator.mitchell@senate.ca.gov @HollyJmitchell Senator Bill Monning (916) 651-4017 Senator.monning@senate.ca.gov Senator Josh Newman (916) 651-4029 Senator.newman@senate.ca.gov @SenatorNewmanCA Senator Jim Nielsen (916) 651-4004 Senator.nielsen@senate.ca.gov @CASenatorJim Senator Richard Pan (916) 651-4006 Senator.pam@senate.ca.gov Senator Richard D. Roth (916) 651-4031 Senator.roth@senate.ca.gov @GeneralRoth Teri Boughton (916) 651-4111 Teri.Boughton@sen.ca.gov http://www.kidneyfund.org/news/news-releases/statement-on-ahip-letter-to-hhs.html