Senate Bill 866 (Hernandez) re prescription drug benefits

SB 866 (Hernandez) will facilitate the efforts of physicians to care for patients. It will ease the burden of prior authorization and utilization review. It will cut down on wrongful delays and denials of treatment.

This bill is analogous to AB 584 (Fong) in that it reduces how utilization review obstructs the practice of medicine. Here are the essential points: only one universal form will be required for prior authorization. The form is supposed to be limited to two pages; however, there's nothing in the bill that specifies font size (rumors that the insurance companies are shopping for microscopic print fonts are probably exaggerated). The information is then supposed to be electronically available and transmissible. Most important, the company has 48 hours to reply. After that, in the absence of a reply, automatic approval of the physician's prescription ensues (even though I can think of a way around that). All the same, the bill is unequivocal in its support of patients and their doctors.

Support can be expected from the pharmaceutical industry which stands to benefit from reduced prior authorization. Opposition can be expected from the insurance industry which benefits from as much utilization review and prior authorization as it can foist on the public and the healthcare profession generally. Practicing physicians should support SB 866.