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NH committee hears bill to limit midyear prescription-formulary changes
Summary
The Senate Health & Human Services Committee heard testimony on SB 544, which would bar insurers from making significant formulary changes midplan year; sponsors cited harms to patients and continuity of care, while insurers warned of higher premiums and operational challenges.
Sen. Donovan Fenton told the Senate Health & Human Services Committee that Senate Bill 544 is intended to protect patients and families from sudden midyear changes to prescription drug formularies that can leave people without medicines they rely on. “If an insurer sells a plan with a certain formulary, they should not be able to fundamentally change that formulary midyear in ways that can harm patients,” Fenton said in opening testimony.
The bill would allow insurers to make significant formulary shifts only at plan renewal, when consumers can shop for new coverage. Fenton said the change aims to preserve continuity of care after families reported abrupt removals of needed drugs. John Stewart, a constituent who testified in support, described a…
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