NY A00443

Amends step therapy protocol rules to prohibit requiring patients to try and fail on more than two drugs "used to treat the same medical condition or disease" rather than the previous "within one therapeutic category" standard

Clarifies that step therapy cannot require drugs not FDA-approved "for the medical condition being treated" or unsupported by evidence-based guidelines for that condition

Protects patients who switch health care plans from repeating step therapy protocols already completed under a prior plan within the past 365 days

Requires health care plans to accept written or electronic attestation from the prescribing health care professional stating a required drug has failed as evidence of failure (removes "prima facie" language)

Changes the effective date of the underlying 2024 step therapy law from 120 days after enactment to January 1, 2026, applying to all policies issued, renewed, modified, altered, or amended on or after that date