Bill > H4951

This bill aims to remove barriers to accessing HIV prevention medication, specifically pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) drugs, by ensuring that insurance plans and state programs cover these medications and necessary related health services without imposing financial burdens or administrative hurdles on individuals. It mandates that insurance policies, including those for state employees, individual and group accident and sickness insurance, hospital service plans, medical service agreements, health maintenance contracts, and preferred provider contracts, must cover HIV prevention drugs and associated services like office visits, lab tests, and counseling without requiring co-payments, co-insurance, deductibles, prior authorization, or step therapy, which are protocols that can delay or restrict access. Furthermore, it prohibits denying prescriptions based on the type or setting of the prescribing healthcare practitioner, as long as they are licensed. The bill also addresses access within correctional facilities by requiring that inmates nearing release be informed about, evaluated for, and provided with a supply of HIV prevention drugs, along with information on post-release monitoring and connections to ongoing care, all at no cost to the inmate. Additionally, it authorizes licensed pharmacists to prescribe, dispense, or administer these HIV prevention drugs, with regulations to be established by the Department of Public Health.

Health and Social Services

Joint Committee on Financial Services (Joint)

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4951