LouisianaLouisiana plans give some lower-cost drugs better coverage
Louisiana law requires some health plans to give lower-cost generic drugs and biosimilars better cost-sharing and no harder path to coverage.
What it does
When a qualifying generic costs less at wholesale, an insurer covering its reference drug must give the generic a lower-cost-sharing tier and make it no harder to obtain.
When a qualifying biosimilar costs less at wholesale, an insurer covering its reference product must offer at least one biosimilar at a lower-cost-sharing tier and make it no harder to obtain.
Insurers may use net cost to compare drugs, but must report prices, patient cost-sharing, and rebate use to the insurance commissioner; the state publishes a yearly summary while protecting nonpublic details.
Argument forPeople in some plans could pay less for qualifying lower-cost generics or biosimilars and face fewer hurdles when getting them.
Argument againstPatients may have less access to details about insurer drug choices because the state keeps nonpublic information confidential, even as it publishes a yearly summary.
More detail
An insurer must immediately place a qualifying generic on a plan tier with lower cost-sharing and cannot make it harder to get than the reference drug. This applies to a generic drug approved and marketed under the referenced federal law when it meets the price conditions. The insurer’s plan must cover the reference drug on the generic’s first marketing date. The generic’s wholesale acquisition cost must be lower than that of the reference drug and any other generic sharing its reference drug on that date. The rules continue only while the generic’s wholesale acquisition cost remains lower. The insurer must act immediately when the generic first reaches the market; the rules last only while its wholesale cost stays lower.
An insurer must immediately place at least one qualifying biosimilar on a plan tier with lower cost-sharing and cannot make it harder to get than the reference product. This applies to a licensed and marketed biosimilar that meets the price conditions. The insurer’s plan must cover the reference product on the biosimilar’s first marketing date. The biosimilar’s wholesale acquisition cost must be lower than that of the reference product and any other biosimilar sharing its reference product on that date. The rules continue only while the biosimilar’s wholesale acquisition cost remains lower. The insurer must act immediately when the biosimilar first reaches the market; the rules last only while its wholesale cost stays lower.
Insurers may compare drugs using net cost instead of wholesale cost and must report specified price and cost-sharing information to the insurance commissioner when they choose that method for a branded drug. The notice duty applies to a health insurer that chooses net-cost calculations for a branded prescription drug in its formulary. For each drug code, the notice must include wholesale and net costs for the branded drug and any available generic or biosimilar, as well as the branded drug’s cost-sharing and the amount that would apply if the lower-cost drug had a better tier. The notice must explain how the branded drug’s manufacturer rebate is used. Information the state obtains that is not already public is confidential and exempt from public records disclosure; the commissioner must publish a yearly summary that includes an analysis of patient costs. The insurer must notify the commissioner in writing within 30 days of choosing net-cost calculations for a branded drug; the commissioner reports yearly.
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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 12Signed by the Governor Jeff Landry. Becomes Act No. 907.Became Law
- Jun 12Effective date: 08/01/2026.
- Jun 2Sent to the Governor for executive approval.To Governor
- Jun 1Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.Minor
- Jun 1Signed by the President of the Senate.
- May 31Conference Committee Report read, roll called, yeas 94, nays 0. The Conference Committee Report was adopted.
- Vote recorded ADOPT CONFERENCE REPORT (#1790). Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded ADOPT (#1603). Result: pass.Upper
- May 31Notice House adopted the Conference Committee Report.
- May 31Conference Committee Report read; adopted by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays.
- May 31Notice of Senate adoption of Conference Committee Report.
- May 29Conference Committee report received. Lies over under the rules.
- May 29Conference committee report received.
- May 29Scheduled for floor debate on 05/312026.
- May 27House conferees appointed: Turner, Firment, and Miller.
- May 27Notice House Conference Committee members appointed.
- May 26Read by title, roll called, yeas 99, nays 0, Senate amendments rejected, conference committee appointment pending.
- Vote recorded REJECT SENATE AMENDMENTS (#1490). Result: pass.Lower
- May 26Notice House rejected the Senate amendments.
- May 26Senate conference committee members appointed: Talbot, Bass, and Harris.
- May 26Notice of Senate conferees appointed.
- May 25Scheduled for concurrence on 05/26/2026.
- May 20Received from the Senate with amendments.Minor
- May 19Rules suspended. Called from the Calendar.
- Vote recorded FINAL PASSAGE (#1021). Result: pass.Upper
- May 19Senate floor amendments read and adopted. Read by title, passed by a vote of 33 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.Passed Senate
- May 18Rules suspended.
- May 18Read by title and returned to the Calendar, subject to call.
- May 11Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.Minor
- May 7Committee amendments read and adopted. Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
- May 6Reported with amendments.Minor
- Apr 15Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Insurance.Minor
- Apr 14Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.Minor
- Apr 13Called from the calendar.
- Vote recorded FINAL PASSAGE (#466). Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 13Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 96, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.Passed House
- Apr 9Read by title, returned to the calendar.
- Apr 9Notice given.
- Apr 9Scheduled for floor debate on 04/13/2026.
- Apr 8Scheduled for floor debate on 04/09/2026.
- Apr 7Read by title, amended, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.Minor
- Apr 1Reported 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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