orders of protection; process servers

Plain English Breakdown

The official material mentions 'clinically appropriate' drugs but does not provide a definition for this term within the provided excerpts.

HB2048: Limits on AHCCCS Drug Controls for Non-Opioid Pain Medication

This bill stops the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System from placing stricter rules on non-opioid pain drugs than it does on opioid or narcotic drugs.

What This Bill Does

• Prohibits AHCCCS from creating more restrictive utilization controls for approved non-opioid pain medications compared to opioids.
• Limits the use of prior authorization and step therapy requirements so they are not stricter for non-opioids than for narcotics.
• Applies these rules only to drugs used to treat moderate to severe chronic or acute pain that have FDA approval.

Who It Names or Affects

• The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) administration
• Health plans contracted with AHCCCS to deliver services

Limits and Unknowns

• This law will no longer be in effect after August 31, 2028.
• The bill does not specify the exact financial cost this change may have on the state General Fund.

Official Summary Text

HB2048 - 572R - Senate Fact Sheet

Assigned to
HHS�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� AS
PASSED BY COW

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Seventh
Legislature, Second Regular Session

AMENDED

FACT SHEET FOR
H.B. 2048

orders
of protection; process servers

(
NOW:
AHCCCS; non-opioid prescription drugs; controls
)

Purpose

Prohibits the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) from
imposing more restrictive utilization controls on prescription non-opioid drugs
used to treat moderate to severe pain than on prescription opioid or narcotic
drugs.

Background

AHCCCS serves as Arizona's Medicaid agency, which offers Arizona
residents access to healthcare programs. AHCCCS contracts with health plans to
deliver medically necessary services to enrolled members, including low-income
adults, children, pregnant women and individuals with disabilities (
A.R.S. � 36-2903
).

The AHCCCS Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee (Committee) serves as an
advisory body to the AHCCCS administration and is responsible for evaluating
scientific evidence of the relative safety, efficacy, effectiveness and
clinical appropriateness of prescription drugs. The Committee makes
recommendations to the AHCCCS administration on the development and maintenance
of a statewide drug list and prior authorization criteria as appropriate. The
Committee may also evaluate individual drugs and therapeutic classes of drugs (
AHCCCS
).

If prohibiting AHCCCS from imposing more restrictive utilization
controls on prescription non-opioid drugs than on prescription opioid or
narcotic drugs results in increased utilization or costs, there may be a fiscal
impact to the state General Fund.

Provisions

1.

Prohibits
AHCCCS from establishing utilization controls, including prior authorization or
step therapy requirements, on any clinically appropriate prescription
non-opioid drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat
chronic or acute moderate to severe pain that are more restrictive or extensive
than the least restrictive or extensive utilization controls applicable to any
clinically appropriate prescription opioid or narcotic drug.

2.

Repeals
the prohibition on September 1, 2028.

3.

Becomes
effective on the general effective date.

Amendments
Adopted by Committee

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Adopted the strike-everything amendment.

Senate Action

PS������������������� 3/17/26����� W/D

HHS��������������� 3/18/26����� DPA/SE���
4-3-0

Prepared by Senate Research

June 1, 2026

MM/hk

Current Bill Text

HB2048 - 572R - S Ver

Senate Engrossed
House Bill

orders
of protection; process servers

(now: AHCCCS;
non-opioid prescription drugs; controls)

State of Arizona

House of Representatives

Fifty-seventh Legislature

Second Regular Session

2026

HOUSE BILL 2048

AN
ACT

Relating to the Arizona health care cost
containment system prescription drug coverage.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1.
Arizona health care cost containment system
administration; prescription drugs; pain treatment; utilization controls;
delayed repeal

A. The Arizona health care
cost containment system administration may not establish more restrictive or
extensive utilization controls, including more restrictive or extensive prior
authorization or step therapy requirements, for any clinically appropriate
prescription drug that is not an opioid and that is approved by the United
States food and drug administration to treat chronic or acute moderate to
severe pain that are more restrictive or extensive than the least restrictive
or extensive utilization controls applicable to any clinically appropriate
prescription drug that is an opioid or narcotic.

B. This section is repealed
from and after August 31, 2028.