STEP THERAPY PROTOCOLS FOR PRESCRIPTION DRUGS TO TREAT SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESSES

(a) In this section, "serious mental illness" has the meaning assigned by Section 1355.001. (b) This section applies only to a drug prescribed to an enrollee who is 18 years of age or older to treat a diagnosis of a serious mental illness. (c) A health benefit plan that provides coverage for prescription drugs to treat a serious mental illness may not require, before the health benefit plan provides coverage of a prescription drug approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration, that the enrollee: (1) fail to successfully respond to more than one different drug for each drug prescribed, excluding the generic or pharmaceutical equivalent of the prescribed drug; or (2) prove a history of failure of more than one different drug for each drug prescribed, excluding the generic or pharmaceutical equivalent of the prescribed drug. (d) Subject to Section 1369.0546, a health benefit plan issuer may implement a step therapy protocol to require a trial of a generic or pharmaceutical equivalent of a prescribed prescription drug as a condition of continued coverage of the prescribed drug only: (1) once in a plan year; and (2) if the generic or pharmaceutical equivalent drug is added to the plan's drug formulary.