Arkansas Code Title 23. Public Utilities and Regulated Industries § 23-99-1119. Medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction

(a) A healthcare insurer, including Medicaid, shall not:

(b) Subdivision (a)(1) of this section shall only apply to the Arkansas Medicaid Program as it pertains to prescription drugs for treatment or detoxification of opioid and alcohol addiction designated as preferred on the evidence-based preferred drug list, provided there is at least one (1) of each of the drugs listed in subdivision (a)(1) of this section with the preferred designation on the preferred drug list or available without prior authorization.

(c) If a new formulation or medication approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for use as a prescription for medication-assisted treatment becomes available after April 12, 2019, and is either more expensive or has not been shown to be more effective than the formulations and medications in subsection (a) of this section, then the healthcare insurer may require prior authorization of the new formulation or medication.

(d) A healthcare insurer utilizing a tiered drug formulary shall place on the lowest-cost benefit tier at least one (1) product for each of the following medications that is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration:

(e) For purposes of any limit a healthcare insurer imposes on the number of prescriptions for a patient, a prescription for medication-assisted treatment shall not be counted.

(f) This section does not affect the responsibility of a healthcare provider to comply with the standard of care for medication-assisted treatment, including without limitation the use of therapy in combination with medication.

(g) [Repealed by Acts of 2023, Act 451, § 1, eff. Aug. 1, 2023.]