Bill No. 1416 aims to establish guidelines for group insurance plans in Oklahoma regarding the coverage of non-opioid treatments. It introduces a new section to the Oklahoma Statutes that defines key terms such as "group insurance plan," "health care prescriber," "insurer," and "non-opioid treatment." The bill allows insurers to adopt or amend a state preferred drug list (PDL) while ensuring that non-opioid drugs approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for pain management are not disadvantaged compared to opioid medications. However, it clarifies that this does not prevent the preference of one opioid over another or one non-opioid over another within their respective categories.
The legislation emphasizes the importance of non-opioid treatments in pain management and mandates that these treatments be given equitable consideration in insurance coverage. It applies to non-opioid treatments that have been reviewed and approved for coverage by insurers and includes drugs provided under contracts with pharmacy benefits managers. The bill is set to take effect on November 1, 2025.