AR HB1558

Healthcare insurers, including Medicaid, cannot require prior authorization for coverage of buprenorphine, naloxone, naltrexone, methadone, and their FDA-approved formulations and combinations for treatment or detoxification of opioid and alcohol addiction.

Insurers cannot impose requirements beyond valid prescriptions and compliance with medication-assisted treatment guidelines from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

For Arkansas Medicaid, the prior authorization exemption applies only to prescription drugs designated as preferred on the evidence-based preferred drug list, with at least one product of each drug type available without prior authorization.

Healthcare insurers using tiered drug formularies must place at least one product of buprenorphine, naloxone, naltrexone, methadone, and buprenorphine-naloxone combination on the lowest-cost benefit tier.

Prescriptions for medication-assisted treatment shall not be counted toward prescription limits imposed by healthcare insurers.