The House Concurrent Resolution No. by Representative Brown seeks to establish the Louisiana Alternative Funding Program Task Force, which will be tasked with studying the effects of alternative funding programs on patient access to affordable prescription drugs in Louisiana. The resolution highlights the critical importance of ensuring access to necessary medications for health outcomes and notes that a significant percentage of health coverage plans are either using or considering the use of alternative funding programs. Concerns are raised regarding these programs potentially removing coverage for specialty drugs, which could misrepresent patients as uninsured or underinsured, complicating their access to patient assistance programs and threatening the sustainability of such programs for those who genuinely need them.

The task force will be composed of various stakeholders, including the commissioner of insurance and representatives from medical societies, health plans, and pharmaceutical organizations. It will study the prevalence and business models of alternative funding programs, their impact on patient assistance programs, and the implications for prescription medication coverage across different health insurance products. The task force is required to submit a written report of its findings and recommendations for legislation by December 31, 2024, after which it will be dissolved.