Alaska2026Passed Legislature
SB142
Alaska SB 142: Rules for Government Health Insurance and Pharmacy Benefits
Last scannedSep 12, 2026, 4:46 AM
In one sentence
This bill requires state and municipal health insurance plans, including self-insured ones, to follow specific laws about managing pharmacy benefits.
What it does
- Requires municipalities that offer group health or self-insurance plans to follow state rules on pharmacy benefit management found in AS 21.27.901 through 21.27.975 and AS 21.36.520.
- Applies these same pharmacy benefit rules to the Department of Administration's insurance policies for state employees, including self-insured plans.
- Exempts any health plan already covered by federal law known as ERISA from these new requirements.
Who it affects
- Municipalities in Alaska, including home rule and general law cities or boroughs that offer group health care insurance plans.
- The Department of Administration when it manages health insurance for state workers through policies or self-insurance.
- Pharmacy benefits managers working with these municipal and state plans.
Limits and unknowns
- This bill does not apply to any plan already subject to the federal ERISA law.
- The official text provided ends before showing the full effective date or final details on how pharmacy rules will be enforced beyond citing specific statutes.
- Specific changes to drug prices or patient costs are not listed in this summary.
Plain language
Terms to know
- Self-insurance
- A method where an employer pays for its own employee medical costs directly instead of buying a policy from an insurance company, as mentioned in the bill title and text.
- Pharmacy benefits manager (PBM)
- An entity that manages drug benefit programs; the bill states these managers are subject to specific state laws when working with government plans.
- ERISA
- The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, a federal law under which certain health care insurance plans are exempt from this new bill's requirements.
Official record
Sources
Official summary
HEALTH INSURANCE & PHARMACY BENEFITS MGRS An Act relating to municipal and state group health insurance plans and policies, including self-insured plans and policies, and the administration and management of pharmacy benefits; and providing for an effective date.
Official activity
Bill history
- (S) REFERRED TO LABOR & COMMERCE600
- (S) L&C, FIN600
- (S) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS600