House approves conference report limiting copay‑accumulator practices for certain drugs

The Indiana House on April 23 approved the conference committee report on House Bill 1604, a measure that adds cost‑sharing protections for certain life‑saving drugs and chronic‑pain medications that lack generic alternatives and requires insurers and pharmacy benefit managers to include third‑party payments in cost‑sharing calculations.

The bill, presented to the House by Representative McGuire, requires pharmacy benefit managers to apply an out‑of‑pocket cap to specified drugs and directs insurers to post average negotiated rates on their websites; the conference report also allows insurers to link to an all‑payer claims database for rate transparency. Representative McGuire described the package to members as “our cost sharing and our bill on the patient’s right…