HB1592 Summary

• Effective January 1, 2018, requires health benefit plans in Arkansas to prohibit higher copayments, coinsurance, or deductibles for orally administered anticancer medications compared to injected or intravenously administered anticancer medications.

• Applies to all group and blanket health benefit plans issued or renewed in Arkansas, including state and public school employee plans, but excludes accident-only, specified disease, Medicare supplement, and other limited benefit policies.

• Prohibits healthcare insurers from reclassifying cancer treatment medication benefits or increasing cost-sharing for injected or intravenous medications unless the increase applies generally to other medical benefits and is not circumventing parity requirements.

• Allows health benefit plans to maintain the same coding, documentation, and claim submission requirements for oral anticancer medications as applied to injected or intravenous anticancer medications.

• Directs the insurance commissioner to promulgate rules necessary to implement the parity requirements.