LouisianaHealth plans must match costs and access for oral cancer drugs
Starting August 1, 2026, covered plans must keep costs and access rules for oral cancer medicines no worse than those for cancer drugs given by injection or IV.
What it does
Insurers that cover cancer treatment must cover prescribed cancer medicines taken by mouth on terms no less favorable than medicines given by injection or IV. They may meet this rule by capping all patient costs at $180 per filled prescription.
Insurers may not use programs that fail to credit drug-maker or other third-party assistance toward plan costs for cancer medicines in eligible high-deductible plans.
The law covers many individual, group, exchange, and government health plans, as far as federal law allows. Limited-benefit policies are excluded, and self-funded employee plans are outside its reach except where federal law allows.
Argument forPeople taking cancer medicines by mouth could face costs and access rules closer to those for patients receiving the medicines by injection or IV.
Argument againstPatients could still pay up to $180 for each filled prescription, which may be hard for people who need several cancer medicines.
More detail
Insurers that cover cancer treatment must cover prescribed cancer medicines taken by mouth on terms no less favorable than medicines given by injection or IV. This applies to insurers that cover cancer treatment through health plans subject to Louisiana law. Plans may not impose higher costs or stricter access rules for oral medicines than for injected or IV medicines. An insurer is considered to comply if it limits all patient cost-sharing to no more than $180 per filled prescription. The law takes effect August 1, 2026.
Insurers may not use programs that fail to credit drug-maker or other third-party assistance toward a person's plan costs for cancer medicines. This applies to eligible high-deductible health plans and other plans covered by the law, to the extent federal law allows. The rule covers assistance applied toward a person's deductible, other cost-sharing, or yearly out-of-pocket limit. The provision addresses cancer medicines under eligible high-deductible health plans that can be used with health savings or similar accounts. The law takes effect August 1, 2026.
The law applies to listed individual, group, high-deductible, exchange, and government plans, as far as federal law allows. Covered plans include individual and group plans, eligible high-deductible plans, exchange plans, nonfederal government plans, and plans offered by the Office of Group Benefits. The Office of Group Benefits is included. Limited-benefit policies are excluded. Self-funded employee plans governed by federal ERISA law are not regulated, except to the extent federal law allows. The law takes effect August 1, 2026.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Jun 8Signed by the Governor Jeff Landry. Becomes Act No. 833.Became Law
- Jun 8Effective date: 08/01/2026.
- Jun 1Signed by the President of the Senate.
- Jun 1Sent to the Governor for executive approval.To Governor
- May 31Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.Minor
- May 29Read by title, roll called, yeas 97, nays 0, Senate amendments concurred in.
- Vote recorded CONCUR IN SENATE AMENDMENTS (#1694). Result: pass.Lower
- May 27Scheduled for concurrence on 05/29/2026.
- May 26Rules suspended. Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title, passed by a vote of 37 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.Passed Senate
- Vote recorded FINAL PASSAGE (#1341). Result: pass.Upper
- May 26Received from the Senate with amendments.Minor
- May 25Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.Minor
- May 21Committee amendments read and adopted. Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
- May 20Reported with amendments.Minor
- May 13Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Insurance.Minor
- May 12Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.Minor
- May 11Called from the calendar.
- Vote recorded FINAL PASSAGE (#1136). Result: pass.Lower
- May 11Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 93, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.Passed House
- May 7Read by title, returned to the calendar.
- May 7Notice given.
- May 7Scheduled for floor debate on 05/11/2026.
- May 6Read by title, amended, ordered reengrossed, passed to 3rd reading.Minor
- May 6Scheduled for floor debate on 05/07/2026.
- May 5Reported with amendments (18-0).Minor
- Apr 9Read by title, amended, ordered engrossed, recommitted to the Committee on Appropriations.
- Apr 8Reported with amendments (10-0).Minor
- Mar 9Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Insurance.Minor
- Feb 27Prefiled.Minor
- Feb 27Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Insurance.Minor
- Feb 27First appeared in the Interim Calendar on 2/27/2026.Introduced
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