Health care coverage: prescription drugs: refills.

Existing law, the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975, provides for the licensure and regulation of health care service plans by the Department of Managed Health Care and makes a willful violation of the act a crime. Existing law also provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law imposes various requirements on health care service plan contracts and health insurance policies that cover prescription drug benefits. This bill would require a health care service plan contract or health insurance policy issued, amended, or renewed on or after July 1, 2017, that provides coverage for prescription drug benefits to allow for early refills of covered topical ophthalmic products according to specified standards. Because a willful violation of the bill's requirements by a health care service plan would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.