SB 618

This bill prohibits the Department of Health Services from imposing any

utilization management controls for prescription drugs under the Medical

Assistance program that are approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration

and have an indication of approval from the federal Food and Drug Administration

for the treatment of a serious mental illness. Under the bill, “serious mental illness”

is defined to mean a mental disorder, as defined in the most recent edition of the

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American

Psychiatric Association, such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia or schizotypal

disorder, major depressive disorder, or post-traumatic stress disorder, that results

in serious functional impairment that substantially interferes with or limits one or

more major life activities. Currently, DHS administers the Medical Assistance

program, which is a joint federal and state program that provides health services to

individuals who have limited financial resources.