SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Northern California Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) honored Assemblywoman Fiona Ma as the 2011 California State Assembly “Legislator of the Year.”

Assemblywoman Ma was presented with the award at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s annual meeting on Nov. 13.

The Northern California Chapter of NMSS recognized Assemblywoman Ma for her hard-fought efforts and dedicated advocacy in addressing the challenges faced by each person affected by MS.

Assemblywoman Ma’s AB 310 serves as landmark patient protection legislation which would make medication that falls into the “specialty tiers” category of health insurance more affordable for patients.

This bill would also prevent insurers from shifting the cost of expensive medication to California patients by placing a cap on co-pays, and limiting the annual out-of-pocket expenditures.

For patients suffering from chronic medical conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis, the added financial burden of specialty tiers can be cumbersome.

AB 310 is currently in Assembly Appropriations Committee and will be amended. For more information on AB 310, please visit www.leginfo.ca.gov.

For more information on the Northern California Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS), please visit http://www.nationalmssociety.org/chapters/CAN/index.aspx.