JCAR members press BWC on outpatient drug formulary changes and mental‑health coverage

The Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review questioned Bureau of Workers' Compensation officials about changes to the agency's outpatient prescription drug formulary and what those changes mean for injured workers' access to medications.

Representative Brenner asked whether workers who previously had prescriptions covered under the rescinded appendix could lose coverage under the new appendix. “So I guess what my concern is, are there any workers out there that might whose prescriptions may have been covered before under the old appendix but now could potentially lose their prescription drug coverage?” he asked.

Freddie Johnson, identified in the meeting as the bureau's chief medical service and appliance officer, said the bureau's pharmacy director leads formulary changes and that the agency's pharmacy and therapeutics…