Read the full stored bill text
PRINTER'S NO. 2644
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 2060
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY BURGOS, HILL-EVANS, K.HARRIS, RIVERA, SANCHEZ AND
BOYD, NOVEMBER 19, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES, DECEMBER 3, 2025
AN ACT
Amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), entitled "An
act to consolidate, editorially revise, and codify the public
welfare laws of the Commonwealth," in public assistance,
providing for pain parity in Medicaid and for pain parity in
commercial insurance.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known
as the Human Services Code, is amended by adding sections to
read:
Section 459.2. Pain Parity in Medicaid.--(a) In
establishing and maintaining the uniform Statewide preferred
drug list under section 459.1, the department shall ensure that
no non-opioid drug approved by the United States Food and Drug
Administration for the treatment or management of pain shall be
disadvantaged or discouraged with respect to coverage relative
to any opioid or narcotic drug for the treatment or management
of pain on the uniform Statewide preferred drug list, where
impermissible disadvantaging or discouragement includes, without
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
limitation, designating any non-opioid drug as a nonpreferred
drug if any opioid or narcotic drug is designated as a preferred
drug or establishing more restrictive or more extensive
utilization controls, including, but not limited to, more
restrictive or more extensive prior authorization or step
therapy requirements for a non-opioid drug than the least
restrictive or extensive utilization controls applicable to any
opioid or narcotic drug.
(b) This section shall apply to a non-opioid drug
immediately upon its approval by the United States Food and Drug
Administration for the treatment or management of pain,
regardless of whether the drug has been reviewed by the
department for inclusion on the uniform Statewide preferred drug
list. This section shall apply to drugs being provided under a
contract between the department and any managed care
organization.
Section 459.3. Pain Parity in Commercial Insurance.--(a) In
establishing and maintaining a formulary or preferred drug list,
a commercial insurer shall ensure that no non-opioid drug
approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for
the treatment or management of pain shall be disadvantaged or
discouraged, with respect to coverage or cost sharing, relative
to any opioid or narcotic drug for the treatment or management
of pain on the formulary or preferred drug list, where
impermissible disadvantaging or discouragement includes, without
limitation:
(1) i mposing more restrictive coverage criteria on any non-
opioid drug than the least restrictive coverage criteria imposed
on an opioid or narcotic drug;
(2) establishing more restrictive or more extensive
20250HB2060PN2644 - 2 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
utilization controls, including, but not limited to, more
restrictive or more extensive prior authorization or step
therapy requirements for a non-opioid drug than the least
restrictive or extensive utilization controls applicable to any
opioid or narcotic drug; or
(3) if an insurer maintains a formulary or preferred drug
list grouped into tiers for the purposes of determining cost
sharing, placing any non-opioid drug on a tier that requires a
cost-sharing responsibility that exceeds the lowest cost-sharing
responsibility required for any opioid or narcotic drug on the
formulary.
(b) This section shall apply to a non-opioid drug
immediately upon its approval by the United States Food and Drug
Administration for the treatment or management of pain.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
20250HB2060PN2644 - 3 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15