Opioid and Other Substance Use Disorders Study Committee.
The bill requires the commissioner of insurance (commissioner) to promulgate rules that establish diagnoses of covered conditions for which nonpharmacological alternatives to opioids are appropriate. Each health benefit plan is required to provide coverage for at least 6 physical therapy visits and 6 occupational therapy visits per year or 12 acupuncture visits per year, with a maximum of one copayment per year for 12 covered visits. The bill requires the commissioner to conduct an actuarial study to determine the economic feasibility prior to including acupuncture as a covered alternative treatment. ( section 1 of the bill).
The bill prohibits an insurance carrier (carrier) from limiting or excluding coverage for an atypical opioid or a nonopioid medication that is approved by the federal food and drug administration by mandating that a covered person undergo step therapy or obtain prior authorization if the atypical opioid or nonopioid medication is prescribed by the covered person's health care provider. The carrier is required to make the atypical opioid or nonopioid medication available at the lowest cost-sharing tier applicable to a covered opioid with the same indication ( section 2 ).
The bill precludes a carrier that has a contract with a physical therapist, occupational therapist, or acupuncturist from prohibiting the physical therapist, occupational therapist, or acupuncturist from, or penalizing the physical therapist, occupational therapist, or acupuncturist for, providing a covered person information on the amount of the covered person's financial responsibility for the covered person's physical therapy, occupational therapy, or acupuncture services or from requiring the physical therapist, occupational therapist, or acupuncturist to charge or collect a copayment from a covered person that exceeds the total charges submitted by the physical therapist, occupational therapist, or acupuncturist. The commissioner is required to take action against a carrier that the commissioner determines is not complying with these prohibitions ( section 3 ).
Current law limits an opioid prescriber from prescribing more than a 7-day supply of an opioid to a patient who has not had an opioid prescription within the previous 12 months unless certain conditions apply, and this prescribing limitation is set to repeal on September 1, 2021. The bill continues the prescribing limitation indefinitely ( sections 4 through 10 ).
The bill requires the executive director of the department of regulatory agencies (department) to consult with the center for research into substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery support strategies (center) and the state medical board to promulgate rules establishing competency-based continuing education requirements for physicians and physician assistants concerning prescribing practices for opioids ( section 11 ).
The bill modifies requirements for adding prescription information to the prescription drug monitoring program (program) and allows the department of health care policy and financing and the health information organization network access to the program ( sections 12 and 13 ).
The bill continues indefinitely the requirement that a health care provider query the program before prescribing a second fill for an opioid and requires each health care provider to query the program before prescribing a benzodiazepine, unless certain exceptions apply. The bill also requires the director of the division of professions and occupations in the department to promulgate rules designating additional controlled substances and other prescription drugs to be tracked by the program. In addition to current law allowing medical examiners and coroners to query the program when conducting an autopsy, the bill allows medical examiners and coroners to query the program when conducting a death investigation ( sections 13 through 15 ).
The bill appropriates money to:
The department of public health and environment annually to address opioid and other substance use disorders through local public health agencies ( section 16 );
The department of health care policy and financing to extend the operation of the substance use disorder screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment grant program ( section 17 ); and
The department of human services for allocation to the center for continuing education activities for opioid prescribers, including education for prescribing benzodiazepines ( section 18 ).
The bill directs the office of behavioral health in the department of human services to convene a collaborative with institutions of higher education, nonprofit agencies, and state agencies for the purpose of gathering feedback from local public health agencies, institutions of higher education, nonprofit agencies, and state agencies concerning evidence-based prevention practices ( section 19 ).(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

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Statutes affected:
Preamended PA1 (02/20/2020): 12-30-109, 12-220-111, 12-255-112, 12-275-113, 12-290-111, 12-240-130, 12-280-403, 12-280-404, 12-280-407, 12-280-408, 5-5-208, 27-80-118
Introduced (01/10/2020): 12-30-109, 12-220-111, 12-240-123, 12-255-112, 12-275-113, 12-290-111, 12-315-126, 12-280-403, 12-280-404, 12-280-407, 12-280-408, 5-5-208, 27-80-118