Committee hears bill to bar insurers from disadvantaging non‑opioid drugs for pain

House Health Care & Wellness Committee members heard testimony Jan. 21 on House Bill 1034, a measure from Rep. Lillian Ortiz‑Self that would bar health carriers, state and public employee plans, and Medicaid from imposing policies that disadvantage non‑opioid medications compared with opioids for pain treatment.

The bill’s sponsor said the intent is to give patients equitable access to non‑opioid pain treatments and ensure people, including those in recovery from substance use disorders, are informed of alternatives to opioids.

"This bill wants to find parity and equality between access to non opioids and opioid medicine for pain management," said Representative Lillian Ortiz‑Self, the bill’s prime sponsor. She described personal encounters where opioid medications were provided without discussion of alternatives.

Supporters told the committee HB 1034 could reduce pathways to addiction by making non‑opioid…