Bill > HB856

This bill reinstates and clarifies protections for individuals with advanced, metastatic cancer, which is cancer that has spread from its original site to other parts of the body. It prohibits health benefit plans, which are insurance policies or contracts that cover healthcare costs, from requiring patients to try other medications first, a process known as "step therapy" or "fail-first protocols," before covering specific drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating this condition or its associated symptoms and side effects. The bill also reestablishes the process for doctors to request an override of these restrictions if a preferred drug is ineffective or likely to cause harm, and it removes a previous expiration date, ensuring these protections remain in place indefinitely.

Business and Industry, Health and Social Services

https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/2026/pdf/history/HB/HB0856.xml