The House Finance Committee has rejected a plan to provide a prescription drug benefit to the uninsured.
New Hampshire Public Radio's Dan Gorenstein reports.
Members of the Finance Committee found themselves stuck.
On the one hand, they wanted to support a program that would help the state's uninsured pay for their prescription drugs.
But on the other, the plan before them seemed untenable.
Representative Fran Wendelboe.
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:20 there are too many unknowns. It would need significant state dollars, it's a voluntary state program, we could establish it, and participation might not come out from the pharmacists and drug companies, it's just not ready for prime time.
The Senate overwhelmingly thought the plan was ready for prime time...last year.
The concept is similar to the way drug companies reimburse the state for Medicaid prescription drugs.
At its most basic- drug companies would give the state money in exchange for the benefit of group sales.
The state would use that money to reimburse pharmacists for selling drugs at discounted prices.
To be eligible a customer would have to be 300 percent of the federal poverty line and have no health insurance.
With 41 states already sponsoring some kind of program for its uninsured residents, state Senator Sylvia Larsen says it's time New Hampshire got on the bus.
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1:05 while we can't solve health insurance in this state, it was a hope we could at least bring down prescriptions for people in need.
Currently, about 140 thousand people don't have insurance in the state.
One criticism from Finance Committee members was that a population of that size wouldn't be attractive to the drug companies.
But Senator Larsen says the industry sent the state 33 million in rebates for its Medicaid population last year- and that's only 90 thousand people.
Larsen added that New Hampshire could partner with other states to increase its pool of uninsured.
Another problem with the legislation was the price tag.
Supporters put the start-up costs at one million dollars.
The Department of Health and Human Services estimated twice that amount.
House Finance Committee member Mary Jane Wallner says the bill can't go anywhere until that is straightened out.
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:09 I think we really need to have an idea of what it cost...and then the state was going to have to step up and have an appropriation to make it possible. Or you would have another program out there with no way to deliver it.
Wallner says she wants to see a financial commitment so if and when the program starts, it will have staying power.
The Finance Committee is recommending the bill be sent to study.
The measure now heads to the full House.
For NHPR News, I'm DG.
