AN ACT relating to the Golden Kentuckian Discount Program and making an appropriation therefor.
     Create a new section of KRS Chapter 209 to establish the Golden Kentuckian Discount Program (GKDP) to provide senior citizen discounts on the purchase of prescription drugs at pharmacies and other goods, services, and food at retail establishments around Kentucky through the use of a pharmacy benefits manager and other marketing techniques that may be utilized by the cabinet, to be operational by October 1, 2003; require, for the prescription drug component, the cabinet to contract with a pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) through a request for proposal process; provide that program is available to Kentucky residents age 60 and over; require that, for the other goods and services component, the cabinet may, to the extent of available funding, arrange for discounts with other participating retail establishments around Kentucky; provide that the successful PBM shall be responsible for providing substantial discount savings on a wide variety of covered drugs through an extensive network of participating pharmacies, and permit different discounts for generic drugs and name-brand drugs; require the PBM to generate the initial issue of cards to all Kentuckians age sixty (60) and over in the month that the PBM contract becomes operational, and permit the PBM to obtain an electronic tape of the individuals to receive the cards from the cabinet, which shall obtain the information from driver's license and photo identification records from the Transportation Cabinet; provide that persons who do not have a driver's license or photo identification but who provide proof of age shall also be issued a card; provide that, after the initial issue of cards, a card shall be issued to each person who attains age sixty (60) during the month following the birth month, and prohibit the use of a Social Security number on the card; require the GKDP to make monthly reimbursement to the PBM for the costs to produce and mail cards, and provide that the GKDP shall not pay any other fee, administrative cost, or other sum of money for any other purpose to the PBM; require a quarterly report from the PBM to the GKDP, and require the GKDP to provide a semi-annual report to the Legislative Research Commission that summarizes the information received from the PBM and that makes recommendations for the more efficient operation of the program, with the first report due by January 1, 2004; require the PBM to market the program to educate all Kentuckians about the program; require the PBM or GKDP to maintain a web site that provides current information about participating pharmacies and retail establishments and that informs nonparticipating retail establishments about the procedures necessary to become eligible to offer discounts in GKDP; permit the Cabinet for Health Services and GKDP to accept grants or solicit funds from other sources for the operation of the program; provide that, if the Cabinet for Health Services or the GKDP is unable to secure sufficient funding to operate the Golden Kentuckian Discount Program, then the cabinet may expend a sum up to $100,000 as a necessary government expense to insure the smooth and continued operation of the program.

     Feb 18-introduced in House
     Feb 19-to Appropriations and Revenue (H)