MN SF3823

Requires insurance carriers, health maintenance organizations, and health carriers to provide equal coverage and payment for services provided by licensed pharmacists as they do for licensed physicians, effective January 1, 2023.

Prohibits carriers from denying benefits for medical services lawfully performed by licensed pharmacists and adds pharmacists to the list of providers whose services cannot be denied (alongside chiropractors, optometrists, nurses, and acupuncture practitioners).

Establishes network adequacy requirements mandating that pharmacies be within 30 miles or 30 minutes of enrollees' locations, and prohibits use of drug benefit participation alone to meet this requirement.

Requires medical assistance and MinnesotaCare programs to reimburse pharmacists at rates no lower than physicians when providing services within both professions' scopes of practice.

MinnesotaCare pharmacy coverage and payment must comply with medical assistance requirements specified in the bill, effective January 1, 2023, or upon federal approval, whichever is later.