State

State Legislation to Support Pain Parity

Across the country, states are introducing legislation to ensure access to non-opioid treatments and therapies. These policy efforts, often referred to as “pain parity” legislation, address the health insurance barriers many patients face when trying to access non-opioid treatment options.   

Once enacted, pain parity legislation requires that access is equal between opioid and non-opioid options, removing barriers to access for non-opioid medications. Pain parity legislation levels the playing field by 1) prohibiting the use of utilization controls such as prior authorization and step therapy and 2) equalizing cost-sharing for the non-opioid prescription drug than for an opioid prescription drug to ensure patients are not disadvantaged when accessing non-opioid options.  

This Pain Parity Tracker maps introduced and passed legislation that ensures non-opioid pain treatments are not disadvantaged or discouraged for the treatment of pain relative to opioid treatments. Explore legislation by topic or click on a state below to learn more: