Senate Bill 251 aims to enhance health insurance coverage for individuals with asthma by mandating that health insurance policies and plans provide coverage for prescription drugs and related medical supplies necessary for asthma treatment. The bill specifies that related medical supplies include asthma inhalers and other items essential for administering prescribed medications. It establishes cost-sharing caps, limiting enrollee expenses to no more than $25 for a one-month supply of each asthma medication and $50 per month for all related medical supplies. Additionally, the bill stipulates that these costs cannot increase based on the number of conditions treated and that the coverage will not be subject to any deductibles.

The bill introduces new sections to the statutes, specifically creating 609.835 and 632.895 (16g), which outline the coverage requirements and cost-sharing limitations. It also includes provisions to ensure that if the cost-sharing limits conflict with federal health savings account eligibility, the limits will only apply after the enrollee meets the minimum deductible required by federal law. The act is set to take effect four months after publication, with specific applicability provisions for policies affected by collective bargaining agreements.