CT SB00857

Prohibits individual and group health insurance policies from requiring mail order pharmacy use as a condition for obtaining prescription drug benefits, effective January 1, 2014.

Bans insurance policies from requiring use of alternative brand name or over-the-counter drugs before brand name drugs prescribed by a physician, except policies may require therapeutically-equivalent generic drugs first.

Restricts step therapy requirements by prohibiting policies from requiring failure on the same prescription drug more than once and limiting copayments to the lowest cost for preferred drugs in the same class once step therapy requirements are satisfied.

Requires insurance policies covering cancer and disabling or life-threatening chronic diseases to cover off-label uses of FDA-approved drugs when recognized in established drug reference compendia (USP DI, AMA DE, or AHFS-DI).

Prohibits insurance policies from requiring use of non-FDA-approved drugs for off-label conditions unless prescribed by the treating health care provider.