S.B. No. 2857 establishes a prescription drug purchasing pool in Texas, aimed at allowing health benefit plan issuers, qualified public employers, and qualified private employers to purchase prescription drugs at discounted rates. The bill introduces Chapter 446 to the Health and Safety Code, defining key terms such as "Commission," "Health benefit plan issuer," "Participant," "Qualified private employer," and "Qualified public employer." The Health and Human Services Commission is tasked with creating the purchasing pool and setting eligibility criteria for participation, as well as procedures for enrollment and disenrollment.

Additionally, the bill allows for optional stop-loss coverage for participants and permits multiple employers to jointly purchase prescription drugs through the pool without constituting a multiple employer welfare arrangement. The executive commissioner is responsible for establishing rules necessary for the implementation of this chapter. The act is set to take effect on September 1, 2025, and the commission is only required to implement it if the legislature appropriates specific funding for that purpose.

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