S.B. 2488 Summary

• Establishes the Medical Cannabis Insurance Reimbursement Working Group to address complexities of making medical cannabis reimbursable by health insurance.

• Working group shall explore options and make recommendations on other states' actions, reimbursement models for non-prescription therapies, liability issues for health plans, impact on insurance premiums, and insurance riders for alternative therapies.

• Membership includes chairs of senate and house commerce/health committees (as co-chairs), insurance commissioner, Department of Human Services med-QUEST division administrator, representatives from mutual benefit societies, health maintenance organizations, medicaid managed care plans, and licensed medical cannabis dispensaries, and two medical cannabis program participants.

• Working group must be convened no later than August 1, 2018, and shall submit final report with recommendations to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2019.

• Act takes effect upon approval.