Health care coverage: insulin affordability.

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's requirements a crime. Existing law provides for the regulation of health insurers by the Department of Insurance. Existing law requires a health care service plan contract or disability insurance policy issued, amended, delivered, or renewed on or after January 1, 2000, that covers prescription benefits to include coverage for insulin if it is determined to be medically necessary. This bill would prohibit a health care service plan contract or a disability insurance policy, as specified, issued, amended, delivered, or renewed on or after January 1, 2024, or a contract or policy offered in the individual or small group market on or after January 1, 2025, from imposing a copayment, coinsurance, deductible, or other out-of-pocket expense of more than $35 for a 30-day supply of an insulin prescription drug, and would prohibit a high deductible health plan from imposing a deductible, coinsurance, or other cost sharing on an insulin prescription drug, as specified. Because a willful violation of these provisions 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.