Substitute Senate Bill No. 10 (sSB10 File No. 735) is a comprehensive piece of legislation aimed at improving access to affordable prescription drugs, enhancing health care coverage, increasing transparency in health care costs, supporting home and community-based services for vulnerable individuals, and protecting rights related to gender identity and expression. The bill amends Section 19a-754b of the general statutes to require the executive director of the Office of Health Strategy to publicly list up to ten outpatient prescription drugs that are costly to the state or critical to public health, with at least one generic drug included. It changes the criteria for listing drugs, now requiring a cumulative increase of at least sixteen percent over two years and a minimum cost of forty dollars for a course of therapy. The bill also defines various terms related to health care services and insurance, establishes regulations for the purchase and reimbursement of prescription drugs, and requires 340B covered entities to report on prescription drug purchases and savings.

Furthermore, the bill introduces new sections that prohibit purchasers from buying or seeking reimbursement for prescription drugs at a cost exceeding the maximum fair price, as determined by the U.S. Health and Human Services secretary under the Inflation Reduction Act. It also prohibits manufacturers or distributors from withdrawing drugs from the market to avoid this price requirement and establishes penalties for violations. The bill mandates the insurance commissioner to adopt regulations for implementation and gives the attorney general exclusive authority to enforce penalties. Additionally, the bill makes changes to the duties of the Comptroller, including establishing a prescription drug discount card program and coordinating participation in a multistate prescription drug consortium. It also addresses the rights of inmates with gender incongruence, expands eligibility for the Covered Connecticut program, and requires the Department of Social Services to establish a working group for input on guidelines for gender-affirming procedures. The bill's provisions have various effective dates, with some sections becoming effective on July 1, 2023, and others on January 1, 2024.

Statutes affected:
Committee Bill: 3-112, 18-81ii, 52-571m, 52-571n
HS Joint Favorable Change of Reference: 3-112, 18-81ii, 52-571m, 52-571n
APP Joint Favorable: 3-112, 18-81ii, 52-571m, 52-571n
File No. 735: 3-112, 18-81ii, 52-571m, 52-571n