CT Tax on Pain Meds Call to Action
National Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain Association Call-to-Action
Subject: CONNECTICUT SB 1130 – An act implementing a tax on narcotic substances and controlled substances and providing funding for regional opioid abuse prevention and treatment programs.The National Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain Association (NFMCPA) opposes Connecticut Senate Bill 1130 that would impose a tax on manufacturers and wholesalers of strong pain medications in Schedule II. We feel this legislation will adversely impact Connecticut pain patients as the cost of that tax and the associated accounting costs is shifted to them at the point of sale.
Please join the NFMCPA and other organizations in this Call-to-Action to help stop the onslaught of legislative movements aimed at hindering patient access to chronic pain care options.
Our primary concern lies with ensuring that patients receive the care that their health care provider deems appropriate. The negative impact of individuals having to incur additional costs would create an unnecessary financial burden to patients and their families. The additional costs of a new tax could be felt by individuals via a range of healthcare interactions including dentist visits, recovering from surgery or battling cancer. Taxing pain patients is not the answer.
On Monday, April 27, 2015, the bill came out of the Senate Finance Committee with an approval vote of 25-21. Although the sponsor states this as a work in progress, the NFMCPA, along with other advocacy organizations, are moving forward with action to block this legislation. The following organizations have signed on to oppose this bill:
Alliance for Patient Access (AfPA)
Center for Lawful Access and Abuse Deterrence (CLAAD)
Center for Medicine in the Public Interest
(Peter J. Pitts, former FDA Associate Commissioner, President)
Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc.
Comfort Care Unlimited LLC
Endo International plc
The Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association (RSDSA)
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd
Below is a draft letter you can cut and paste (and optionally add personal information) into an email to let your state legislator know of your concern that this tax on pain medication is unfair to chronic pain patients. Thank you for your
[date]
The Honorable Dannel P. Malloy
Office of the Governor – State Governor
210 Capitol Avenue
Hartford, CT 06106
The Honorable Martin M. Looney
Legislative Office Building, Room 3300
Hartford, CT 06106-1591
The Honorable Brendan Sharkey
Legislative Office Building, Room 4100
Hartford, CT 06106-1591
Governor Malloy, President Pro Tempore Looney and Speaker Sharkey,
I oppose Connecticut Senate Bill 1130 that would impose a tax on manufacturers and wholesalers of strong pain medications in Schedule II . I feel this legislation will adversely impact Connecticut pain patients as the full cost of that tax is shifted to them at the point of sale. It is unfair to tax only chronic pain patients to fund opioid abuse prevention and treatment programs or for any other reason.
Patients need to receive the care that their health care provider feels is appropriate. The negative impact of individuals having to incur additional costs would create an unnecessary financial burden to patients and their families. This tax could be felt by people in a wide range of healthcare interactions including dentist visits, recovering from surgery or battling cancer.
(Name]
