SB226

SB226 regulates step therapy protocols in Hawaii, ensuring fair and transparent prescription drug coverage.

SB226 mandates that insurers and utilization review organizations in Hawaii adopt minimum standards for step therapy protocols, which require patients to try alternative prescription drugs before coverage is provided. The bill ensures that clinical review criteria for these protocols are based on clinical practice guidelines, developed through an explicit and transparent process. Patients and their health care providers can request exceptions to step therapy protocols, which must be granted if the protocol is not in the patient's best interest.