Assembly Bill No. 374

CHAPTER 621

An act to add Section 1367.244 to the Health and Safety Code, and to add Section 10123.197 to the Insurance Code, relating to health care coverage.

[Approved by Governor October 8, 2015. Filed with Secretary of State October 8, 2015.]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 374, Nazarian. Health care coverage: prescription drugs.

Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes a willful violation of that act a crime. Existing law also provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law imposes various requirements and restrictions on health care service plans and health insurers, including, among other things, requiring a health care service plan or health insurer that provides prescription drug benefits to utilize a specified uniform prior authorization form or electronic authorization process when requiring prior authorization for prescription drug benefits.

This bill would authorize a request for an exception to a health care service plan’s or health insurer’s step therapy process for prescription drugs to be submitted in the same manner as a request for prior authorization for prescription drugs, and would require the plan or insurer to treat, and respond to, the request in the same manner as a request for prior authorization for prescription drugs.

The bill would require the Department of Managed Health Care and the Department of Insurance to include a provision for step therapy exception requests in the uniform prior authorization form specified above.

Because a willful violation of these requirements with respect to health care service plans would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.

This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 1367.244 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read:

1367.244.  

(a) A request for an exception to a health care service plan’s step therapy process for prescription drugs may be submitted in the same manner as a request for prior authorization for prescription drugs pursuant to Section 1367.241, and shall be treated in the same manner, and shall be responded to by the health care service plan in the same manner, as a request for prior authorization for prescription drugs.

(b) The department and the Department of Insurance shall include a provision for step therapy exception requests in the uniform prior authorization form developed pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 1367.241.

SEC. 2.  

Section 10123.197 is added to the Insurance Code, to read:

10123.197.  

(a) A request for an exception to a health insurer’s step therapy process for prescription drugs may be submitted in the same manner as a request for prior authorization for prescription drugs pursuant to Section 10123.191, and shall be treated in the same manner, and shall be responded to by the health insurer in the same manner, as a request for prior authorization for prescription drugs.

(b) The department and the Department of Managed Health Care shall include a provision for step therapy exception requests in the uniform prior authorization form developed pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 10123.191.

SEC. 3.  

No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIII B of the California Constitution.



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