Nebraska Revised Statutes Chapter 44. Insurance § 44-7,104. Coverage for orally administered anticancer medication; requirements; applicability

(1) Notwithstanding section 44-3,131, (a) any individual or group sickness and accident insurance policy, certificate, or subscriber contract delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state and any hospital, medical, or surgical expense-incurred policy, except for policies that provide coverage for a specified disease or other limited-benefit coverage, and (b) any self-funded employee benefit plan to the extent not preempted by federal law that provides coverage for cancer treatment shall provide coverage for a prescribed, orally administered anticancer medication that is used to kill or slow the growth of cancerous cells on a basis no less favorable than intravenously administered or injected anticancer medications that are covered as medical benefits by the policy, certificate, contract, or plan.

(2) This section does not prohibit such policy, certificate, contract, or plan from requiring prior authorization for a prescribed, orally administered anticancer medication. If such medication is authorized, the cost to the covered individual shall not exceed the coinsurance or copayment that would be applied to any other cancer treatment involving intravenously administered or injected anticancer medications.

(3) A policy, certificate, contract, or plan provider shall not reclassify any anticancer medication or increase a coinsurance, copayment, deductible, or other out-of-pocket expense imposed on any anticancer medication to achieve compliance with this section. Any change that otherwise increases an out-of-pocket expense applied to any anticancer medication shall also be applied to the majority of comparable medical or pharmaceutical benefits under the policy, certificate, contract, or plan.

(4) This section does not prohibit a policy, certificate, contract, or plan provider from increasing cost-sharing for all benefits, including cancer treatments.

(5) This section shall apply to any policy, certificate, contract, or plan that is delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in this state on or after October 1, 2012.