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Senate passes bill requiring insurers to cover certain non‑opioid pain treatments
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Summary
Senate Bill 6, which requires insurers to make specified non‑opioid pain management drugs available when an opioid is prescribed, passed after floor debate. Supporters cited the opioid crisis and the need for alternatives; opponents said the mandate could raise costs and be premature for a new drug class.
The Colorado Senate on April 20 passed Senate Bill 6, a measure that requires insurers to cover certain non‑opioid pain treatments when opioids are prescribed. The final passage followed floor debate in which supporters cited the long‑running harms of opioid overprescribing and opponents warned the mandate could increase costs and limit provider discretion.
Senator Mullica spoke in opposition, saying she supports the goal of reducing opioid reliance but that the bill mandates newer, more expensive drugs that may not be necessary in every case. "This bill is requiring and mandating that we only use an option that is brand new to the system, that is more expensive," Mullica said, adding concern the bill would drive up health care costs and that carve‑outs for Medicaid and the state health plan reflected those cost pressures.
Senator Weisman, who said she served on the health committee that vetted the measure, urged a yes vote, citing the long human toll of opioid overprescription in the United States and statistics about current prescribing patterns. "The human disaster that has been inflicted on this country for decades due to rampant overprescription of opioid drugs is what is doing the work for me and inclining me to vote yes," Weisman said.
Floor discussion noted existing non‑opioid options such as gabapentin, Toradol and ketamine and debated whether the bill’s requirements were sufficiently flexible. The Senate recorded objections and no‑vote requests from multiple members; the final tally on passage was 29 ayes, 5 no, 0 absent, 1 excused.
The bill includes carve‑outs for Medicaid and the state health plan as adopted during prior consideration, and sponsors said those exemptions were included to address cost and coverage concerns. The transcript record does not give full details of implementation or which exact products the bill will require insurers to cover; those specifics will be determined in statutory text and subsequent rulemaking or plan filings.
