Bill > HB144

This bill prohibits health benefit plans, pharmacy benefit managers, and private review agents from imposing restrictive protocols, such as prior authorization or step therapy, on drugs prescribed for the treatment or prevention of HIV or AIDS, ensuring timely access to these medications. It clarifies that while therapeutically equivalent drugs may be subject to these protocols, at least one version must be covered without such restrictions. The bill also amends existing laws to align with these provisions, specifically addressing the process for overriding step therapy or fail-first protocols and ensuring that prior authorization is not required for therapeutically equivalent HIV/AIDS drugs. The bill defines "health benefit plan" to include Medicaid programs and various managed care arrangements, and it ensures that these new protections apply to both private insurance and public health programs.

Business and Industry

https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2026/pdf/history/HB/HB0144.xml