The bill amends chapter 376 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri by adding a new section, 376.2048, which establishes guidelines for health carriers and health benefit plans regarding prescription drug coverage. Effective January 1, 2027, health carriers will not be allowed to require enrollees to switch to a different drug deemed more appropriate by the carrier unless the enrollee's healthcare provider provides written approval for the change, ensuring that it is in the best interest of the enrollee's health. The bill also clarifies that terms such as "enrollee," "health care provider," "health carrier," and "health benefit plan" will have the same meanings as defined in section 376.1350. Additionally, the bill specifies that it does not prevent the substitution of interchangeable biological products as outlined in section 338.085, nor does it apply to prescription drugs that are restricted under a step therapy protocol as described in section 376.2034. This legislation aims to protect enrollees' rights to their prescribed medications while maintaining certain exceptions for specific drug protocols.

Statutes affected:
Introduced (4386H.01): 376.2048