| 3 | 2 | | *ANS192* 02/01/2023 02:47:31 PM ANS192 |
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| 4 | 3 | | |
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| 5 | 4 | | State of Arkansas 1 |
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| 6 | 5 | | 94th General Assembly A Bill 2 |
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| 7 | 6 | | Regular Session, 2023 SENATE BILL 192 3 |
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| 8 | 7 | | 4 |
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| 9 | 8 | | By: Senator J. Boyd 5 |
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| 10 | 9 | | By: Representative Achor 6 |
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| 11 | 10 | | 7 |
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| 12 | 11 | | For An Act To Be Entitled 8 |
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| 13 | 12 | | AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING COVER AGE OF 9 |
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| 14 | 13 | | BIOSIMILAR MEDICAL P RODUCTS UNDER STEP T HERAPY 10 |
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| 15 | 14 | | PROTOCOLS; TO AMEND EXCEPTIONS TO STEP T HERAPY 11 |
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| 16 | 15 | | PROTOCOLS; AND FOR O THER PURPOSES. 12 |
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| 17 | 16 | | 13 |
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| 18 | 17 | | 14 |
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| 19 | 18 | | Subtitle 15 |
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| 20 | 19 | | TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING COVERAGE OF 16 |
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| 21 | 20 | | BIOSIMLAR MEDICAL PRODUCTS UNDER STEP 17 |
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| 22 | 21 | | THERAPY PROTOCOLS; AND TO AMEND 18 |
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| 23 | 22 | | EXCEPTIONS TO STEP THERAPY PROTOCOLS. 19 |
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| 24 | 23 | | 20 |
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| 25 | 24 | | 21 |
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| 26 | 25 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 22 |
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| 27 | 26 | | 23 |
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| 28 | 27 | | SECTION 1. DO NOT CODIFY. Legislative findings and intent. 24 |
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| 29 | 28 | | (a) The General Assembly finds that: 25 |
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| 30 | 29 | | (1) Increasing access to biosimilar medical products has the 26 |
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| 31 | 30 | | potential to significantly reduce prescription drug costs; and 27 |
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| 32 | 31 | | (2) Biosimilar medical products are approved according to the 28 |
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| 33 | 32 | | same standards used by the United States Fo od and Drug Administration for 29 |
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| 34 | 33 | | reference medications for pharmaceutical quality, safety, and efficacy. 30 |
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| 35 | 34 | | (b) It is the intent of this act to: 31 |
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| 36 | 35 | | (1) Eliminate barriers impeding access to biosimilar medical 32 |
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| 37 | 36 | | products; and 33 |
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| 38 | 37 | | (2) Promote the savings biosimila r medical products can provide 34 |
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| 39 | 38 | | to consumers in this state. 35 |
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| 40 | 39 | | 36 SB192 |
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| 41 | 40 | | |
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| 42 | 41 | | 2 02/01/2023 02:47:31 PM ANS192 |
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| 45 | 44 | | SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 23 -79-2104(h), concerning the application 1 |
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| 46 | 45 | | of exceptions of step therapy protocols, is amended to read as follows: 2 |
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| 47 | 46 | | (h) This section shall not be construed to prevent: 3 |
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| 48 | 47 | | (1) A healthcare insurer, a health benefit plan, or a 4 |
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| 49 | 48 | | utilization review organization from requiring: 5 |
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| 50 | 49 | | (A) A patient to try a generic equivalent , or 6 |
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| 51 | 50 | | interchangeable biological product , or biosimilar medical product unless such 7 |
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| 52 | 51 | | a requirement meets subsection (b) of this section pursuant to a step therapy 8 |
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| 53 | 52 | | protocol exception request submitted under subsection (b) of this section; or 9 |
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| 54 | 53 | | (B) A pharmacist to effect substitutions of prescription 10 |
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| 55 | 54 | | drugs consistent with § 17 -92-503; or 11 |
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| 56 | 55 | | (2) A healthcare provider from prescribing a prescription drug 12 |
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| 57 | 56 | | that is determined to be medically necessary. 13 |
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| 58 | 57 | | 14 |
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| 59 | 58 | | 15 |
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