SJ0055 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SJ0055 LRB094 14987 LCT 50081 r

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Psychotropic medications play an essential role in the treatment of persons with serious mental illnesses; and

WHEREAS, Thousands of persons with serious mental illnesses receive psychotropic medications under the auspices of the Medicaid program operated by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services; and

WHEREAS, The Department of Healthcare and Family Services has adopted a policy of restricting access to three important anti-psychotic medications, Seroquel, Zyprexa and Risperdol Consta, used to treat schizophrenia and other serious mental illnesses by requiring physicians to obtain prior authorization from the Department before these medications are prescribed; and

WHEREAS, The Department of Healthcare and Family Services has imposed these restrictions with the sole purpose of cutting costs; and

WHEREAS, No one who testified at the sole hearing conducted by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services concerning its proposal to restrict access to antipsychotic medications supported the Department's proposal; and

WHEREAS, Despite the requirements of 305 ILCS 5/5-5.12 (d), the Department of Healthcare and Family Services has not conducted a study of the effects on patient care of requiring physicians to obtain prior authorization before prescribing Seroquel, Zyprexa, or Risperdol Consta for the treatment of serious mental illnesses; and

WHEREAS, The prior authorization requirements imposed by the Department are extremely burdensome and time consuming for the physicians who treat Medicaid patients; thus, requiring prior authorization for medications effectively denies patients access to such medications; and

WHEREAS, The clinical effect and side effects of each medication used for the treatment of schizophrenia and other serious mental illnesses vary substantially among the persons treated with these medication; and

WHEREAS, Many persons who are on these medications have already tried all or most of the other medications available to treat these illnesses; and

WHEREAS, Thousands of persons in Illinois are being successfully treated with Seroquel, Zyprexa, or Risperdol Consta; and

WHEREAS, The Department of Healthcare and Family Services' new policy restricts access to Seroquel, Zyprexa, or Risperdol Consta for even those persons currently being successfully treated with these medications; and

WHEREAS, No clinical judgment supports changing persons being successfully treated with an antipsychotic medication to a different antipsychotic medication; and

WHEREAS, Persons with serious mental illnesses who are denied appropriate medications frequently become seriously ill, require expensive hospitalization, lose employment, become homeless, and disrupt their own lives and the lives of their families, friends, and communities; and

WHEREAS, The Department of Healthcare and Family Services' new policy denying persons with serious mental illnesses appropriate medications will costs State, county, and municipal taxpayers more money than it saves; and

WHEREAS, There are many other ways for the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to obtain cost savings in the Medicaid program without having a negative effect on the care of people with serious mental illnesses and their families, friends, and communities; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that the Department of Healthcare and Family Services should rescind its policy of requiring prior authorization for Zyprexa, Seroquel, and Risperdol Consta; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Department of Healthcare and Family Services not impose restrictions on access to psychotropic medications unless such restrictions are based upon an independent clinical judgment; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be delivered to the Director of Healthcare and Family Services.