AR HB1656

Prohibits healthcare insurers, including Medicaid, from requiring prior authorization for non-injectable medications (buprenorphine, naloxone, naltrexone, methadone) used to treat opioid addiction approved by the FDA, except for newer formulations that are more expensive or not more effective.

Requires healthcare insurers using tiered drug formularies to place at least one product of each medication type (buprenorphine, naloxone, naltrexone, methadone, and buprenorphine-naloxone combination) on the lowest-cost benefit tier.

Prohibits counting prescriptions for medication-assisted treatment against any prescription limits imposed by healthcare insurers on patients.

Applies to Arkansas Medicaid only for drugs designated as preferred on the evidence-based preferred drug list with at least one of each required drug available without prior authorization; Medicaid has until January 1, 2020, to comply.

Declares an emergency effective upon gubernatorial approval, failure to veto, or veto override based on the finding that prior authorization requirements delay treatment and contribute to continued illegal drug use and physician reluctance to treat opioid addiction.