This bill amends various chapters of the General Laws to establish requirements for health insurance contracts regarding pain management services. Specifically, it mandates that all individual or group health insurance plans providing prescription coverage, effective January 1, 2027, must develop a plan to ensure adequate coverage and access to a broad spectrum of pain management services. These services include nonopioid and nonnarcotic medications, as well as nonmedication alternatives to opioids, in accordance with guidelines developed by the office of the health insurance commissioner.

The plans must be submitted to the health insurance commissioner for approval, who will assess the adequacy of access to these services and ensure that there is no undue preference for opioid prescriptions over other pain management options. Additionally, the bill stipulates that no health insurance plan can impose more restrictive utilization review processes, such as prior authorization or step therapy, on clinically appropriate nonopioid prescription drugs than those applied to opioid drugs.

It also requires insurance carriers to distribute educational materials about the pain management access plan to network providers and to post this information on their publicly accessible websites. The bill aims to enhance access to effective pain management while addressing concerns related to opioid prescriptions.