Oklahoma 2022 Regular Session

Oklahoma House Bill HB3512 Latest Draft

Bill / Amended Version Filed 04/12/2022

                             
 
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SENATE FLOOR VERSION 
April 11, 2022 
AS AMENDED 
 
ENGROSSED HOUSE 
BILL NO. 3512 	By: McEntire, Talley, 
Fetgatter, Johns, Moore, 
Frix, Dollens, Sims, West 
(Tammy), Hasenbeck, 
Townley, Dobrinski, Kerbs, 
May, Lawson, Hilbert, Pae, 
Kendrix, Roberts (Eric), 
Phillips, Roe, Fugate, and 
Grego of the House 
 
  and 
 
  McCortney and Garvin of the 
Senate 
 
 
 
[ Patient's Right to Pharmacy Choice Act - retail 
pharmacy network access standards - pharmacy benefits 
managers - ability of a pharmacy to disclose certain 
health care and cost information - patient choices of 
in-network pharmacy - repealer - effective date ] 
 
 
 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE O F OKLAHOMA: 
SECTION 1.     AMENDATORY     36 O.S. 2021, Section 6960, is 
amended to read as follows: 
Section 6960.  For purposes of the Patient 's Right to Pharmacy 
Choice Act: 
1.  "Health insurer" means any corporation, association, benefit 
society, exchange, partnership or individual licensed by the 
Oklahoma Insurance Code;   
 
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2.  "Mail-order pharmacy" means a pharmacy licensed by this 
state that primarily di spenses and delivers covered drugs via common 
carrier; 
3.  "Pharmacy benefits management " means any or all of the 
following activities: 
a. provider contract negotiation and/or provider n etwork 
administration including decisions related to provider 
network participation status, 
b. drug rebate contract negotiation or drug rebate 
administration, and 
c. claims processing which may include claim billing and 
payment services; 
4. "Pharmacy benefits manager" or "PBM" means a person or  
entity that performs pharmac y benefits management activities and any 
other person or entity acting for such a person under a contractual 
or employment relationship in the performance of pharmacy benefits 
management for a managed-care company, nonprofit hospital, medical 
service organization, insurance company, third-party payor or a 
health program administered by a department of this state or entity 
performing pharmacy benefits management activities.  Notwithstanding 
any other provision within the Patient's Right to Pharmacy Choice 
Act, a self-funded plan administered by an employer or organized 
labor union who negotiates and executes all provider contracts 
directly with a pharmacy or the pharmacy 's contracted pharmacy   
 
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services administrative organization, and a pharmacy provider who 
does not use a pharmacy services administrative organi zation shall 
not be deemed a pharmacy benefit s manager of its own group health 
plan and shall not be restricted in its ability to des ign and manage 
its own group health plan; 
4.  "Pharmacy and therapeuti cs committee" or "P&T committee" 
means a committee at a hospital or a health insurance plan that 
decides which drugs will appear on that entity 's drug formulary; 
5.  "Retail pharmacy" or "provider" means a pharmacy, as defined 
in Section 353.1 of Title 59 of the Oklahoma Statutes, licensed by 
the State Board of Pharmacy or an agent or representative of a 
pharmacy; 
6. "Retail pharmacy network " means retail pharmacy providers 
contracted with a PBM in which the pharmacy primarily fills and 
sells prescriptions via a retail, st orefront location; 
6. 7. "Rural service area" means a five-digit ZIP code in which 
the population density is less than one thousand (1,000) individuals 
per square mile; 
7. 8.  "Specialty drug" means prescription medication that 
requires special handling, administration, or monitoring and is used 
for the treatment of patients with serious health conditions 
requiring complex therapies.  Specialty drugs shall also include 
drugs that are limited in distribution by the manufacturer and may 
be purchased only at specialty pharmacies;   
 
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9. "Suburban service area" means a five-digit ZIP code in which 
the population density is between one thousand (1,000) and three 
thousand (3,000) individuals per square mile; and 
8. 10. "Urban service area" means a five-digit ZIP code in 
which the population densit y is greater than three thousand (3,000) 
individuals per square mile. 
SECTION 2.     AMENDATORY     36 O.S. 2021, Sectio n 6961, is 
amended to read as follows: 
Section 6961.  A.  Pharmacy benefits managers (P BMs) shall 
comply with the follow ing retail pharmacy network access standards: 
1.  At least ninety percent (90%) of covered individuals 
residing in an each urban service area live within two (2) miles of 
a retail pharmacy participating in the PBM's retail pharmacy 
network; 
2.  At least ninety percent (90%) of covered individuals 
residing in an each urban service area live within five (5) miles of 
a retail pharmacy designa ted as a preferred participating pharmacy 
in the PBM's retail pharmacy network; 
3.  At least ninety percent (90%) of cov ered individuals 
residing in a each suburban service area live within five (5) miles 
of a retail pharmacy participating in the PBM 's retail pharmacy 
network; 
4.  At least ninety percent (90%) of covered individuals 
residing in a each suburban service area live within seven (7) miles   
 
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of a retail pharmacy designated as a preferred participating 
pharmacy in the PBM's retail pharmacy network; 
5.  At least seventy percent (70%) of covered individuals 
residing in a each rural service area live within fifteen (15) miles 
of a retail pharmacy participating in the PBM 's retail pharmacy 
network; and 
6.  At least seventy percent (70%) of covered indivi duals 
residing in a each rural service area live within eighteen (1 8) 
miles of a retail pharmacy designated as a preferr ed participating 
pharmacy in the PBM's retail pharmacy network. 
B.  Mail-order pharmacies shall not be used to meet access 
standards for retail pharmacy networks. 
C.  Pharmacy benefits managers shall not require patients to use 
pharmacies that are directly or indirectly owned by the or 
affiliated with a pharmacy benefits manager , including all regular 
prescriptions, refills or specialty dr ugs regardless of day supply. 
D.  Pharmacy benefits managers shall not in any manner on any 
material, including but not limited to mail and ID cards, include 
the name of any pharmacy, hospital or other providers unless it 
specifically lists all pharmacies, hospitals and providers 
participating in the preferred and nonpref erred pharmacy and h ealth 
networks. 
SECTION 3.     AMENDATORY     36 O.S. 2021, Section 6962, is 
amended to read as follows:   
 
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Section 6962.  A.  The Oklahoma Insurance Department shall 
review and approve retail pharmacy network access for al l pharmacy 
benefits managers (PBMs) to ensure compliance with Section 4 6961 of 
this act title. 
B.  A PBM, or an agent of a PBM, shall not: 
1.  Cause or knowingly permit the use of a dvertisement, 
promotion, solicitation, representation, proposal or offer t hat is 
untrue, deceptive or misleading; 
2.  Charge a pharmacist or pharmacy a fee related to the 
adjudication of a claim , including without limitation a fee for: 
a. the submission of a claim, 
b. enrollment or participation in a retail pharmacy 
network, or 
c. the development or management of claims processing 
services or claims payment services related to 
participation in a retail pharmacy network; 
3.  Reimburse a pharmacy or pharmacis t in the state an amount 
less than the amount that the PBM reimburses a ph armacy owned by or 
under common ownership with a PBM for providing the same covered 
services.  The reimbursement amount paid to the pharmacy shall be 
equal to the reimbursement amoun t calculated on a per-unit basis 
using the same generic product identifier or generic code number 
paid to the PBM-owned or PBM-affiliated pharmacy;   
 
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4.  Deny a pharmacy the opportunity to participate in any form 
of pharmacy network at preferred participatio n status, whether in-
network, preferred, or otherwise, if the pharmacy is willing to 
accept the terms and conditions that the PBM has established for 
other pharmacies as a condition of preferred network for 
participation status in the network or networks o f the pharmacy's 
choice; 
5.  Deny, limit or terminate a pharmacy 's contract based on 
employment status of any employee who has an active license to 
dispense, despite probation status, with the State Board of 
Pharmacy; 
6.  Retroactively deny or reduce reimb ursement for a covered 
service claim after returning a paid claim response as part of the 
adjudication of the claim, unless: 
a. the original claim was submitted fraudulently, or 
b. to correct errors identified in an audit, so long as 
the audit was conducte d in compliance with Sections 
356.2 and 356.3 of Title 59 of the Oklahoma Statutes; 
or 
7.  Fail to make any payment due to a pharmacy or pharmacist for 
covered services properly rendered in the event a PBM terminates a 
pharmacy or pharmacist from a pharmac y benefits manager network.   
 
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C.  The prohibitions under this section shall apply to contracts 
between pharmacy benefits managers and pharmacists or pharmacies 
providers for participation in retail pharmacy networks. 
1.  A PBM provider contract shall not prohibit, restrict, or 
penalize a pharmacy or pharmacist in any way for discl osing to an 
individual any health care information that the pharmacy or 
pharmacist deems appropriate regarding : 
a. not restrict, directly or indirectly, any pharmacy 
that dispenses a prescription drug from informing, or 
penalize such pharmacy for informing , an individual of 
any differential between the individual 's out-of-
pocket cost or coverage with respect to acquisition of 
the drug and the amount an individual would pay to 
purchase the drug directly the nature of treatment, 
risks, or alternatives to the prescription drug being 
dispensed, and 
b. ensure that any entity that provides pharmacy benefits 
management services under a contract with any such 
health plan or health insurance co verage does not, 
with respect to such plan or coverage, restrict, 
directly or indirectly, a pharmacy that dispenses a 
prescription drug from informing, or penalize such 
pharmacy for informing, a covered individual of any 
differential between the individual 's out-of-pocket   
 
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cost under the plan or coverage with respect to 
acquisition of the drug and the amount an individual 
would pay for acquisition of the drug without using 
any health plan or health insurance coverage the 
availability of alternate therapies, consultations, or 
tests, 
c. the decision of utilization reviewers or simil ar 
persons to authorize or deny services, and 
d. the process that is used to authorize or deny health 
care services and structures used by the health 
insurer. 
2.  A pharmacy benefits manager's contract with a participating 
pharmacist or pharmacy Provider contracts shall not prohibit a 
pharmacy or pharmacist from discussing information re garding the 
total cost of pharmacist services for a prescription drug or from 
selling a more affordable al ternative to the covered person if such 
alternative is available. 
3.  Provider contract s shall not prohibit, restrict or limit 
disclosure of information to the Insurance Commissioner, law 
enforcement or state and federal governmental officials 
investigating or examining a complaint or conducting a review of a 
pharmacy benefits manager's compliance with the requirements under 
the Patient's Right to Pharmacy Choice Act.   
 
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3. 4. A pharmacy benefits manager shall establish and maintain 
an electronic claim inquiry processing system using the National 
Council for Prescription Dru g Programs' current standards to 
communicate information to pharmacies submitting claim inquiries. 
SECTION 4.     AMENDATORY     36 O.S. 2021, Section 6963, is 
amended to read as follows: 
Section 6963.  A.  A health insurer shall be respons ible for 
monitoring all activities carried out by, or on behalf of, the 
health insurer under the Patient 's Right to Pharmacy Choice Act, and 
for ensuring that all requirements of this act Section 6958 et seq. 
of this title are met. 
B.  Whenever a health in surer performs pharmacy benefits 
management on its own behalf or contracts with another person or 
entity to perform activities required under this act pharmacy 
benefits management, the health insurer shall be responsible for 
monitoring the activities and conduct of that person or entity with 
whom the health insurer contracts and for ensuring that the 
requirements of this act Section 6958 et seq. of this title are met. 
C.  An individual may be notified at the point of sale when the 
cash price for the purchas e of a prescription drug is less than the 
individual's copayment or coinsurance price for the purchase of the 
same prescription drug.   
 
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D.  A health insurer or pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) shall 
not restrict an individual's choice of in-network provider for 
prescription drugs. 
E.  An individual's 1. A patient's choice of in-network 
provider may include a retail an in-network pharmacy or a, whether 
that pharmacy is in a preferred or n onpreferred network, a retail 
pharmacy, mail-order pharmacy, or any other pharmacy.  A health 
insurer or PBM shall not restrict such a patient's choice of in-
network pharmacy providers .  Such A health insurer or PBM shall not 
require or incentivize using individuals by: 
a. using any discounts in cost-sharing or a reduction in 
copay or, the number of copays, or any other patient -
copay equivalent to individuals to receive 
prescription drugs from an individual 's choice of in-
network pharmacy, or 
b. using financial incentives to differentiate between 
in-network pharmacies, wheth er that pharmacy is in a 
preferred or nonpreferred network, a retail pharmacy, 
mail-order pharmacy, or any other type of pharmacy . 
2.  Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to p rohibit a 
person or entity participating in pharmacy benefits managemen t 
activities from direct ing a patient to use a specific pharmacy for 
the purchase of a specialty drug as defined in paragraph 8 of 
Section 6960 of this title in the event the patient 's chosen in-  
 
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network pharmacy is unable to purchase and dispense the specialty 
drug. 
F.  A health insurer, pharmacy or PBM shall adhere to all 
Oklahoma laws, statutes and rules when mailing, shipping and/or 
causing to be mailed or shipped prescription drugs into the State of 
Oklahoma this state. 
SECTION 5.     REPEALER     36 O.S. 2021, Section 6964, is 
hereby repealed. 
SECTION 6.  This act shall become effective November 1, 2022. 
COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON RETIREMENT AND INSURAN CE 
April 11, 2022 - DO PASS AS AMENDED