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HB490 • 2026

Health insurance; coverage for early refills of prescription eye drops.

An Act to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 38.2-3407.5:3, relating to health insurance; coverage for early refills of prescription eye drops.

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Hope
Last action
2026-04-06
Official status
Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

No uncertainties or additional notes are required based on the provided official source material.

Health Insurance Coverage for Early Refills of Prescription Eye Drops

This law requires health insurance companies to cover early refills of prescription eye drops if certain conditions are met.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires health insurance plans that cover prescription drugs to also cover early refills of prescription eye drops under specific circumstances.
  • Allows a person to get an early refill of their prescription eye drops if the doctor says it is medically necessary and at least 85% of the previous supply has been used up.
  • Prohibits health insurance companies from charging extra fees for these early refills that are not charged for other covered drugs.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People with health insurance plans in Virginia who need prescription eye drops.
  • Health insurance companies operating in Virginia.

Terms To Know

covered person
A person enrolled in a health benefit plan and eligible for coverage under the terms of that plan.
health carrier
An insurance company or organization providing health insurance benefits to individuals or groups.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law only applies to contracts, policies, or plans delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in Virginia on and after January 1, 2027.
  • It does not require coverage for prescription eye drops if the plan already doesn't cover them.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HB490AHC1

2026-02-03

Labor and Commerce Amendment

Plain English: The amendment changes a specific number in the bill's text from 75 to 85.

  • Changes the number '75' to '85' in the bill's text.
  • It is unclear what this numerical change represents or affects without additional context.
HB490AHC2

2026-02-04 • Committee

Subcommittee #1 Subcommittee Amendment

Plain English: The amendment changes the minimum coverage requirement for early refills of prescription eye drops from at least 75 days to at least 85 days.

  • Changes the required number of days' supply for early refills of prescription eye drops from 'at least 75 days' to 'at least 85 days'.
HB490AH1

2026-02-05 • Committee

Labor and Commerce Amendment

Plain English: The amendment to HB490 changes a specific number in the bill's text from 75 to 85.

  • Changes the number '75' to '85' in the bill's text.
  • It is unclear what this numerical change represents or how it affects the overall purpose of the bill.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-06 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 153 (effective 7/1/2026)

  2. 2026-04-06 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 153 (effective 7/1/2026)

  3. 2026-04-06 Governor

    Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0153)

  4. 2026-03-14 House

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026

  5. 2026-03-14 Governor

    Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

  6. 2026-03-12 House

    Signed by Speaker

  7. 2026-03-12 Senate

    Signed by President

  8. 2026-03-12 House

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB490)

  9. 2026-03-12 House

    Enrolled

  10. 2026-03-12 House

    Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB490ER)

  11. 2026-03-05 Senate

    Read third time

  12. 2026-03-05 Senate

    Read third time

  13. 2026-03-05 Senate

    Passed Senate Block Vote (39-Y 0-N 0-A)

  14. 2026-03-04 Senate

    Rules suspended

  15. 2026-03-04 Senate

    Passed by for the day

  16. 2026-03-04 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A)

  17. 2026-03-04 Senate

    Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  18. 2026-03-02 Commerce and Labor

    Reported from Commerce and Labor (13-Y 0-N)

  19. 2026-02-18 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

  20. 2026-02-18 Commerce and Labor

    Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor

  21. 2026-02-17 House

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB490)

  22. 2026-02-17 House

    Read third time and passed House (93-Y 4-N 0-A)

  23. 2026-02-16 House

    Read second time

  24. 2026-02-16 House

    committee amendment agreed to

  25. 2026-02-16 House

    Engrossed by House as amended

  26. 2026-02-15 House

    Read first time

  27. 2026-02-13 Appropriations

    Reported from Appropriations (22-Y 0-N)

  28. 2026-02-13 Compensation and Retirement

    Subcommittee recommends reporting (6-Y 0-N)

  29. 2026-02-05 Compensation and Retirement

    Assigned HAPP sub: Compensation and Retirement

  30. 2026-02-05 Labor and Commerce

    Reported from Labor and Commerce with amendment(s) and referred to Appropriations (20-Y 2-N)

  31. 2026-02-03 Subcommittee #1

    Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) and referring to Appropriations (9-Y 0-N)

  32. 2026-02-03 Subcommittee #1

    House subcommittee offered

  33. 2026-01-23 House

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB490)

  34. 2026-01-19 Subcommittee #1

    Assigned HCL sub: Subcommittee #1

  35. 2026-01-12 House

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102668D

  36. 2026-01-12 Labor and Commerce

    Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce

Official Summary Text

Health insurance; coverage for early refills of prescription eye drops.
Prohibits a health carrier from denying coverage to a covered person of an early refill of prescription eye drops if (i) the prescription eye drops are a covered benefit, (ii) the amount of time that has elapsed from the previous dispensing of such prescription would result in at least 85 percent of such prescription eye drops being used if taken consistently with the prescriber's directions, and (iii) the prescriber has indicated that additional quantities are medically necessary and the refill requested does not exceed such additional quantity. The provisions of the bill are applicable to contracts, policies, or plans delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in the Commonwealth on and after January 1, 2027.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
An Act to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered
38.2-3407.5:3
, relating to health insurance; coverage for early refills of prescription eye drops.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered
38.2-3407.5:3
as follows:
§
38.2-3407.5:3
. Coverage for early refills of prescription eye drops.
A. As used in this section, "covered person," "health benefit plan," and "health carrier" have the same meanings as provided in §
38.2-3438
.
B. No health carrier whose health benefit plan includes coverage for prescription drugs on an outpatient basis shall deny coverage to a covered person of an early refill of prescription eye drops if:
1. The prescription eye drops are a covered benefit;
2. The amount of time that has elapsed from the previous dispensing of such prescription would result in at least 85 percent of such prescription eye drops being used if taken consistently with the prescriber's directions; and
3. The prescriber has indicated that additional quantities are medically necessary and the refill requested does not exceed such additional quantity.
C. No insurer, corporation, or health maintenance organization shall impose upon any person receiving an early refill of prescription eye drops pursuant to this section any copayment, coinsurance, fee, or other condition that is not equally imposed upon all covered persons in the same benefit category, class, coinsurance level, or copayment level.
D. Nothing in this section shall require coverage for prescription eye drops in any contract, policy, or plan that does not otherwise provide coverage for prescription drugs.
E. The provisions of this section shall not apply to short-term travel, accident-only, limited or specified disease policies, or contracts designed for issuance to persons eligible for coverage under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act, known as Medicare, or any other similar coverage under state or federal governmental plans, or to short-term nonrenewable policies of not more than six months' duration.
2. That the provisions of this section shall be applicable to contracts, policies, or plans delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed in the Commonwealth on and after January 1, 2027.