Bill > HB2364

This bill aims to prevent health insurers (including Medicaid, state children's health insurance, and state employee health benefit programs) from discriminating against nonopioid pain medications in their drug coverage and cost-sharing practices. Specifically, health insurers would be prohibited from denying coverage of a nonopioid medication prescribed for acute pain, requiring patients to try an opioid drug first, or creating barriers that make nonopioid drugs less accessible or more expensive compared to opioid drugs. The bill requires that health insurers treat nonopioid drugs equally with opioid drugs in their drug formularies, which means they cannot impose more restrictive coverage criteria, more extensive prior authorization requirements, or place nonopioid drugs on higher cost-sharing tiers than comparable opioid medications. The goal appears to be ensuring patients have fair access to alternative pain management options without being financially or administratively steered towards opioid medications. The legislation would take effect upon publication in the state statute book and applies to various types of health insurance programs managed by the state.

Health and Social Services

Health and Human Services (H)

https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2364/