Michigan Votes Forum

Introduced in the Senate on April 23, 2002, to require health insurance policies to include coverage for "off-label" drug use to treat serious or life-threatening conditions. “Off-label” use is defined as “the use of a drug for clinical indications other than those stated in the labeling approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration.” The bill specifies certain conditions which would make a particular “off-label” use qualify, such as being recognized by the American Medical Association, being the subject of two or more peer-reviewed medical articles with no contradictory evidence, and others

The vote was 36 in favor, 0 opposed and 2 not voting

(Senate Roll Call 636 at Senate Journal 47)

Click here to view bill details.

Senator Schwarz’s statement is as follows:
With the passage of these two bills, Senate Bill Nos. 1241 and 1242, the Senate will have done a very
good thing. That is; allow physicians, especially oncologist and immunotherapist, cardiologists,and
endocrinologist, to use drugs for conditions that are not stipulated on the label of that medication.
This is something that is done all the time simply because the science is moving more rapidly than the
ability of the pharmaceutical company to label. It makes it a lot easier when you are using a four- or fivedrug
combination for chemotherapy to get that fourth or fifth drug into that combination that needs to be
there without going through a huge amount of paperwork.
I would like to thank the Michigan Manufacturers Association; I’d like to thank the Economic Alliance;
I’d like to thank Blue Cross Blue Shield; and I’d like to thank the House of Representatives where I hope
they receive equally quick treatment.