Bill > HB1198

This bill addresses the use of biosimilar drugs in Tennessee's healthcare system by making several key modifications to existing state laws. The bill defines a "biosimilar" as a biological product licensed under federal law that is not listed as discontinued in the FDA's "Purple Book" database. It allows health carriers, health benefit plans, and utilization review organizations to require patients to try a biosimilar or interchangeable biological product before covering the equivalent branded prescription drug, which is intended to help reduce healthcare costs. The legislation also updates various state codes to explicitly include biosimilars in considerations for drug recommendations, such as in the TennCare pharmacy advisory committee's review process. Specifically, the bill amends multiple sections of Tennessee's legal code to integrate biosimilars into existing healthcare and pharmacy regulations, giving healthcare providers and insurance companies more flexibility in prescribing and covering these potentially more affordable alternative medications. The changes aim to potentially lower healthcare expenses by promoting the use of biosimilar drugs, which are highly similar to and have the same clinical effect as brand-name biological medications but typically at a lower cost.

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https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/Billinfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=HB1198&ga=114