OOA Supports HB 135

[July 22, 2022]

The OOA continues to advocate for HB 135, legislation to end copay accumulator programs and help patients with financial burdens. The bill was unanimously passed, 86-0, by the House of Representatives in March and is expected to receive attention when legislators return from their summer break.

Copay assistance ensures that patients with expensive, chronic conditions can afford their medicines even with the growing out-of-pocket costs that insurers require. Copay accumulator adjustment policies remove that safety net. In 2022, 9 out of 10 payers in Ohio have discriminatory copay accumulators programs. 

To date, 14 states and Puerto Rico have passed copay accumulator reforms and bans. More than 20 other states have pending legislation and the New York bill is awaiting the Governor’s signature.

The bill is supported by more than 60 patient and health care provider groups representing tens of thousands of Ohioans and their families. The OOA meets monthly via conference call with these and other groups through the HB 135 Coalition.