SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1039        FILED ON: 1/17/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1159

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Michael O. Moore

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to pain management treatment for certain chronic pain patients.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1039        FILED ON: 1/17/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1159

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

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An Act relative to pain management treatment for certain chronic pain patients.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Subsection (b) of section 18A of chapter 94C of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the first sentence the following sentence:- Such an agreement shall include an initial urine drug test to establish a baseline assessment of new patients to (1) identify the possible use or non-use of non-prescribed drugs or illicit substances prior to prescribing the medication; or (2) to confirm the possible use or non-use of a prescribed drug or drug class; and random urine drug testing at least once every twelve months for drugs that are determined as medically appropriate for monitoring the patient; said tests shall include medically appropriate presumptive and definitive testing and shall be deemed medically necessary for the purposes of coverage under any and all health insurance policies issued or renewed in the commonwealth, including Medicaid and managed Medicaid policies, and subject to the same deductibles, coinsurance, and other cost sharing practices applied to similar services under the plans. This section shall not apply to a prescription drug for patient who is currently in active treatment for cancer, receiving hospice care from a licensed hospice or palliative care, or is a resident of a long-term care facility, or to any medications that are being prescribed for use in the treatment of substance abuse disorder.