HB 0514

HB 514 - AS INTRODUCED

AN ACT relative to uniform prescription drug information cards.

SPONSORS: Rep. Taylor, Straf 11; Rep. Keye, Hills 30

This bill requires that insurers providing coverage for prescription drugs issue to their enrollees a card or other similar item containing uniform prescription drug information.

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

AN ACT relative to uniform prescription drug information cards.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Statement of Intent. It is the intent of the general court to improve care to patients by minimizing confusion, eliminating unnecessary paperwork, decreasing administrative burdens, and streamlining dispensing of prescription products paid for by third party payors.

2 New Section; Accident and Health Insurance; Individual; Prescription Drug Cards. Amend RSA 415 by inserting after section 6-h the following new section:

I. Each insurer that issues or renews any individual policy of accident or health insurance which provides coverage for prescription drugs or devices, shall issue to certificate holders a card or other technology containing uniform prescription drug information. The uniform prescription drug information card or technology shall be in a format approved by the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) and shall include all of the required and conditional or situational fields and conform to the most recent pharmacy information card or technology implementation guide produced by NCPDP or conform to a national format acceptable to the insurance commissioner. All information that is necessary for claims submission of prescription drug benefits, exclusive of information provided on the prescription as required by law or regulation, shall be included in a clear, readable, and understandable manner on the card or other technology issued by the insurer to the certificate holder for claims processing. All information included on the card or other technology as required under this law but not specified by NCPDP shall conform to a content and format acceptable to the insurance commissioner. All information on the card shall be formatted and arranged in a manner that corresponds both in content and format to the current content and format required by the insurer to process the claim.

II. A new uniform prescription drug information card or technology, as required under paragraph I, shall be issued by an insurer upon enrollment and reissued upon any change in the certificate holder's coverage that impacts data contained on the card or upon any change in the NCPDP implementation guide. Newly issued cards or technology shall be updated with the latest coverage information and shall conform to the NCPDP standards then in effect and to the implementation guide then in use.

3 New Section; Accident and Health Insurance; Group; Prescription Drug Cards. Amend RSA 415 by inserting after section 18-l the following new section:

I. Each insurer that issues or renews any policy of group or blanket accident or health insurance which provides coverage for prescription drugs or devices, shall issue to certificate holders a card or other technology containing uniform prescription drug information. The uniform prescription drug information card or technology shall be in a format approved by the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) and shall include all of the required and conditional or situational fields and conform to the most recent pharmacy information card or technology implementation guide produced by NCPDP or conform to a national format acceptable to the insurance commissioner. All information that is necessary for claims submission of prescription drug benefits, exclusive of information provided on the prescription as required by law or regulation, shall be included in a clear, readable, and understandable manner on the card or other technology issued by the insurer to the certificate holder for claims processing. All information included on the card or other technology as required under this law but not specified by NCPDP shall conform to a content and format acceptable to the insurance commissioner. All information on the card shall be formatted and arranged in a manner that corresponds both in content and format to the current content and format required by the insurer to process the claim.

4 Health Service Corporations; Prescription Drug Cards. Amend RSA 420-A:2 to read as follows:

420-A:2 Applicable Statutes. Every health service corporation shall be governed by this chapter and the relevant provisions of RSA 161-H, and shall be exempt from this title except for the provisions of RSA 400-A:39, RSA 401-B, RSA 402-C, RSA 404-F, RSA 415-A, RSA 415-F, RSA 415:6, II(4), RSA 415:6-g, RSA 415:6-i, RSA 415:18, V, RSA 415:18, VII(g), RSA 415:18, VII-a, RSA 415:18-a, RSA 415:18-j, RSA 415:18-m, RSA 415:22, RSA 417, RSA 417-E, RSA 420-J, and all applicable provisions of title XXXVII wherein such corporations are specifically included. Every health service corporation and its agents shall be subject to the fees prescribed for health service corporations under RSA 400-A:29, VII.

5 New Paragraphs; Managed Care; Prescription Drug Cards. Amend RSA 420-J:7-b by inserting after paragraph IV the following new paragraphs:

V. Every health benefit plan that provides coverage for prescription drugs or devices, or administers such a plan, shall issue to covered persons a card or other technology containing uniform prescription drug information. The uniform prescription drug information card or technology shall be in a format approved by the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs (NCPDP) and shall include all of the required and conditional or situational fields and conform to the most recent pharmacy information card or technology implementation guide produced by NCPDP or conform to a national format acceptable to the insurance commissioner. All information that is necessary for claims submission of prescription drug benefits, exclusive of information provided on the prescription as required by law or regulation, shall be included in a clear, readable, and understandable manner on the card or other technology issued by the plan to the covered person for claims processing. All information included on the card or other technology as required under this law but not specified by NCPDP shall conform to a content and format acceptable to the commissioner. All information on the card shall be formatted and arranged in a manner that corresponds both in content and format to the current content and format required by the plan to process the claim.

VI. A new uniform prescription drug information card or technology, as required under paragraph V, shall be issued by a health benefit plan upon enrollment and reissued upon any change in the covered person's coverage that impacts data contained on the card or upon any change in the NCPDP implementation guide. Newly issued cards or technology shall be updated with the latest coverage information and shall conform to the NCPDP standards then in effect and to the implementation guide then in use.