On February 25, the Indiana Society of Addiction Medicine (INSAM) sent a letter to the Indiana House Committee on Insurance in support of SB208, which would make significant changes to Indiana’s parity enforcement, among other things. The bill would require that certain insurers submit a report and analysis to the Department of Insurance that includes information demonstrating their compliance with federal laws regarding parity in coverage of services for treatment of a mental illness or substance use disorder and coverage of services for treatment of other medical or surgical conditions, including the processes used to develop medical necessity criteria for coverage of services; and to develop and apply nonquantitative treatment limitations. Additionally, the bill would prohibit prior authorization and step therapy requirements for access to MAT, and require that FDA-approved medications for addiction treatment (MAT) be placed on the lowest tier of any drug formulary developed and maintained by certain insurers.

INSAM’s letter stressed that by strengthening parity enforcement and requiring greater transparency from insurers, SB208 would increase coverage of mental health and SUD services in Indiana. Furthermore, by removing step therapy and prior authorization requirements for MAT, as well as by requiring that certain insurers place MAT on the lowest tier of any drug formulary they develop and maintain, SB208 mitigates barriers to treatment

Read INSAM's letter here.

Read SB208 here.