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SB133

Alaska SB133: New Rules for Health Insurance Prior Authorizations

Last scannedSep 10, 2026, 12:32 AM

In one sentence

This law sets time limits and clear rules that health insurance companies must follow when doctors ask them to approve medical care before it happens.

What it does

  • Requires insurers to decide on standard requests within 72 hours, or expedited requests within 24 hours, after receiving all needed information.
  • Mandates that prior authorization standards be based on peer-reviewed, evidence-based clinical reviews and updated at least once a year.
  • Creates an automatic approval rule if the insurer fails to provide a written denial, approval, or request for more info by the deadline.
  • Sets minimum validity periods of 12 months for chronic conditions and 90 days (or longer if clinically appropriate) for other treatments before re-approval is needed.
  • Requires insurers to post their prior authorization rules on their website in detailed, easily understood language.

Who it affects

  • Health care insurance companies offering plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2027
  • Doctors and other health care providers who submit requests for patient care

Limits and unknowns

  • The law only applies to health plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2027.
  • The provided text does not list specific penalties for insurers who fail to meet the time limits.
  • Details about changes to 'step therapy' rules and the application programming interface are mentioned in the title but not described in the provided text excerpt.

Plain language

Terms to know

Prior Authorization
A rule requiring a doctor to get permission from an insurance company before providing certain medical treatments.
Expedited Request
An urgent request for approval that must be answered within 24 hours.

Official record

Sources

Validated
Official bill pageIntroduced textCurrent bill text

Official summary

INSURANCE; PRIOR AUTHORIZATIONS An Act relating to prior authorization requests for medical care covered by a health care insurer; relating to a prior authorization application programming interface; relating to step therapy; and providing for an effective date.

Official activity

Bill history

  1. (S) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) OF LAW SEE CHAPTER1403
  2. (S) LAW W/O GOV SIGNATURE 7/15 CHAPTER 21 SLA 251403
  3. (S) MANIFEST ERROR(S)1390
  4. (S) 3:20 P.M. 6/23/25 TRANSMITTED TO GOVERNOR1390
  5. (H) VERSION: CSSB 133(L&C)1304
  6. (H) RETURN TO (S), TRANSMIT TO GOV NEXT1304
  7. (H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE1304
  8. (H) PASSED ON RECONSIDERATION Y401304
  9. (H) RECON SAME DAY UC - IN THIRD READING1303
  10. (H) RUFFRIDGE NOTICE OF RECONSIDERATION1303
  11. (H) EFFECTIVE DATE(S) SAME AS PASSAGE1303
  12. (H) PASSED Y401303
  13. (H) READ THE THIRD TIME CSSB 133(L&C)1303
  14. (H) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING Y33 N71302
  15. (H) ADVANCED TO THIRD READING NEXT CALENDAR1297
  16. (H) READ THE SECOND TIME1297
  17. (H) RULES TO CALENDAR 5/18/20251297
  18. (H) FIN REFERRAL REMOVED1249
  19. (H) FN1: ZERO(CED)1222
  20. (H) DP: BURKE, CARRICK, SADDLER, NELSON, FIELDS, HALL1222