Bill Text: NY A09115 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Requires insurers and pharmacy benefit managers provide coverage for off-label drug usage in certain circumstances.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-21 - referred to insurance [A09115 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A09115-Introduced.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          9115

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    January 21, 2020
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M.  of  A. M. L. MILLER -- read once and referred to the
          Committee on Insurance

        AN ACT to amend the insurance law and the public health law, in relation
          to off-label drug usage

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1.  The insurance law is amended by adding a new section 3114
     2  to read as follows:
     3    § 3114. Off-label drug usage. (a) As used in this section, the follow-
     4  ing terms shall have the following meanings:
     5    (1) "Medical literature" means published scientific studies  published
     6  in any peer-reviewed national professional journal.
     7    (2) "Standard reference compendia" means:
     8    (A) The United States Pharmacopeia Drug Information;
     9    (B) The American Medical Association Drug Evaluations;
    10    (C) The American Hospital Formulary Service Drug Information;
    11    (D)  The  National  Comprehensive  Cancer  Network Drugs and Biologics
    12  Compendium;
    13    (E) The Thomson Micromedex DrugDex; or
    14    (F) The Gold Standard/Elsevier Clinical Pharmacology.
    15    (b) (1) Any contract or other arrangement entered  into  by  a  health
    16  insurer  offering  health  insurance  under  this  chapter that provides
    17  coverage for drugs shall exclude coverage of any such drug for a partic-
    18  ular indication on the ground that the drug has not been approved by the
    19  United States food and drug administration for that indication,  if  the
    20  drug  is recognized for treatment of the indication in one of the stand-
    21  ard reference compendia, in the medical literature or has been  success-
    22  fully  used  for  treatment previously by the insured for the same indi-
    23  cation; provided,  however,  that  nothing  in  this  section  shall  be
    24  construed to authorize the commissioner of health to approve any drug or
    25  direct  any  person that issues an insurance policy to make payments for
    26  the drug for a particular indication unless the drug is  recognized  for
    27  treatment  of the indication in one of the standard reference compendia,

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD14454-01-9

        A. 9115                             2

     1  in the medical literature or has been successfully  used  for  treatment
     2  previously by the insured for the same indication.
     3    (2) Any coverage of a drug required by this section shall also include
     4  medically  necessary  services associated with the administration of the
     5  drug.
     6    (3) This section shall not be construed to  alter  existing  law  with
     7  regard  to  provisions limiting the coverage of drugs that have not been
     8  approved by the United States food and drug administration.
     9    (4) This section shall not be construed to require  coverage  for  any
    10  drug  when the United States food and drug administration has determined
    11  its use to be contra-indicated.
    12    (5) This section shall not be construed to require coverage for exper-
    13  imental drugs not otherwise approved for any indication  by  the  United
    14  States food and drug administration.
    15    (6)  Any  dispute  about  coverage  for  off-label uses brought to the
    16  commissioner of health shall be resolved by  the  appropriate  grievance
    17  process authorized by the department.
    18    (7)  The commissioner of health shall have the authority to direct any
    19  person who issues an insurance policy to make payments required by  this
    20  section.
    21    § 2. Subdivision 4 of section 280-a of the public health law is renum-
    22  bered subdivision 5 and a new subdivision 4 is added to read as follows:
    23    4.  (a) No pharmacy benefit manager shall exclude coverage of any such
    24  drug for a particular indication on the ground that  the  drug  has  not
    25  been approved by the United States food and drug administration for that
    26  indication, if the drug is recognized for treatment of the indication in
    27  one  of  the  standard reference compendia, in the medical literature or
    28  has been successfully used for treatment previously by the  insured  for
    29  the same indication; provided, however, that nothing in this subdivision
    30  shall  be construed to authorize the commissioner to approve any drug or
    31  direct any pharmacy benefit manager to make payments for the drug for  a
    32  particular indication unless the drug is recognized for treatment of the
    33  indication  in  one  of the standard reference compendia, in the medical
    34  literature or has been successfully used for treatment previously by the
    35  insured for the same indication.
    36    (b) Any coverage of a drug required by  this  subdivision  shall  also
    37  include  medically necessary services associated with the administration
    38  of the drug.
    39    (c) This subdivision shall not be construed to alter existing law with
    40  regard to provisions limiting the coverage of drugs that have  not  been
    41  approved by the United States food and drug administration.
    42    (d)  This  subdivision  shall not be construed to require coverage for
    43  any drug when the United States food and drug administration has  deter-
    44  mined its use to be contra-indicated.
    45    (e)  This  subdivision  shall not be construed to require coverage for
    46  experimental drugs not otherwise approved  for  any  indication  by  the
    47  United States food and drug administration.
    48    (f)  Any  dispute  about  coverage  for  off-label uses brought to the
    49  commissioner shall be resolved  by  the  appropriate  grievance  process
    50  authorized by the department.
    51    (g)  The  commissioner shall have the authority to direct any pharmacy
    52  benefit manager to make payments required by this subdivision.
    53    (h) As used in this subdivision, the following terms  shall  have  the
    54  following meanings:
    55    (1)  "Medical literature" means published scientific studies published
    56  in any peer-reviewed national professional journal.

        A. 9115                             3

     1    (2) "Standard reference compendia" means:
     2    (A) The United States Pharmacopeia Drug Information;
     3    (B) The American Medical Association Drug Evaluations;
     4    (C) The American Hospital Formulary Service Drug Information;
     5    (D)  The  National  Comprehensive  Cancer  Network Drugs and Biologics
     6  Compendium;
     7    (E) The Thomson Micromedex DrugDex; or
     8    (F) The Gold Standard/Elsevier Clinical Pharmacology.
     9    § 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
    10  have become a law and shall apply to insurance policies issued, amended,
    11  or renewed on or after such effective date.
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