Health insurance; coverage for alternative pain management prescription drugs. (HB131)

Introduced By

Sen. John Bell (D-Chantilly)

Description

Health insurance; coverage for alternative pain management prescription drugs. Requires health insurers, health maintenance organizations, and corporations providing health care coverage subscription contracts, whose policy, contract, or plan includes coverage for prescription drugs, to provide coverage for alternative pain management prescription drugs that are prescribed to a covered individual with an opioid dependence disorder. "Alternative pain management prescription drugs" are defined as either abuse-deterrent opioid analgesic drugs or non-opioid analgesic drugs. Alternative pain management prescription drugs are required to be on a tier that has cost-sharing requirements that do not exceed those of opioid analgesic drugs. The requirement applies to analgesics prescribed in connection with an acute medical condition but not for a chronic medical condition. The measure applies to policies, contracts, and plans delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed on or after January 1, 2019. Read the Bill »

Outcome

History