Rep. Magnafici Votes To Protect People With Pre-Existing Conditions And To Reduce Prescription Drug Cost

Press Release

MADISON, WI - Representative Gae Magnafici, (R- Dresser) along with a unanimous vote from the Wisconsin State Assembly, passed both Pharmacy Benefit Management and Pre-existing Conditions bills. Protecting Wisconsinites during the most difficult time in recent history is one of the Legislative’s top priority.

Rep. Magnafici said on the Assembly Floor, Wednesday. “It is never easy seeing a patient deal with serious illnesses, but seeing a patient’s health problems be compounded by the stress of navigating the insurance process was heartbreaking...I look forward to working with Governor Evers and the entire Legislature, Republican and Democrat alike, to ensure that no resident of this great state is denied access to health insurance due to a pre-existing condition.”

Gae Magnafici authored Assembly Bill 34 which guarantees that: “Every individual health benefit plan must accept every individual in this state who applies for coverage and every group health benefit plan must accept every employer in this state that applies for coverage, regardless of whether any individual or employee has a preexisting condition.” Meaning, all Wisconsinites with a preexisting condition will be guaranteed coverage regardless of what the Federal Government does with the Affordable Care Act.

Pharmacy Benefit Managers, or PBMs, are companies that manage prescription drug benefits on behalf of health insurers. Assembly Bill 7 requires all PBM operators to be licensed with the State, allows pharmacists to inform patients on cheaper options for prescription drugs, patients must be notified 60 days before a prescription medication becomes unavailable, and adds more transparency with business practices.