Kaiser Health News reports on the ‘safe harbor clause’ in the current version of the revised health care act.
This allowance, known as a “safe harbor,” could be welcome news for patients with chronic conditions like diabetes or asthma stuck with skimpy plans. For example, a diabetes patient could fill her prescription for insulin with just a copay, even if she hadn’t spent enough on medical bills for her insurance coverage to kick in. But in the long term, experts say, extending a safe harbor to chronic care would encourage more employers to adopt these skimpy plans, while shielding the pharmaceutical industry from pressure to lower drug costs.
“It’s hard to view this as anything but a substantial win for pharma,” said Kim Monk, a partner and pharmaceutical expert at Capital Alpha Partners, which tracks laws and regulations for financial institutions.
Read more at www.khn.org
