Testimony Opposing SB 1150: One Prior Authorization for 12 Months
As introduced, this bill would broadly eliminate almost all prior authorizations (PAs) for prescription drugs. The legislation’s definition of “chronic” is so broad that health plans would be prohibited from requiring a PA for nearly any drug. This includes verifying that opioids are prescribed according to guidelines at the lowest possible dose and for the shortest possible duration to help prevent overuse.
Removing PAs would undermine vital safeguards against fraud, waste, abuse, and practices that prevent harm, reduce costs, and ensure timely and appropriate care. Similar legislation in the last legislative session created a fiscal note of $169 million for TRS and ERS alone. However, by excluding “chronic” drugs from the proposed restrictions in this introduced bill, the fiscal note was significantly reduced. Most autoimmune drugs do not need more than one prior authorization per year, so health plans typically do not have more than one per year.
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