The Massachusetts Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector board on Thursday said it will reconsider whether to include prescription drug coverage in the minimum coverage requirements under the state's new health insurance law, the Boston Globe reports. The law requires all residents to obtain health insurance by July 1 or face tax penalties. The board had proposed minimum coverage requirements that included prescription drug coverage, among other provisions. Insurers said a basic insurance plan that included all of the minimum requirements would have premiums of about $380 per month for an individual. Board members asked insurers to submit lower bids for plans that included proposed requirements for prescription drug coverage. Insurers said drug coverage would be difficult to implement and could force about 210,000 insured state residents to purchase additional coverage. The board on Thursday asked insurers to submit new bids for a plan that includes drug coverage and another for a plan that does not. The new bids must provide coverage for primary care, emergency services, hospitalization and mental health services, and cannot limit coverage per sickness, year or lifetime. Under the proposed requirements, deductibles for in-network care would be capped at $2,000 for an individual, and plans would have to provide at least three preventive-care doctor office visits before the deductible takes effect. The proposed requirements also call for a $5,000 limit on out-of-pocket spending, including the deductible and copayments greater than $100. If the plan includes prescription drug coverage, it must include a separate deductible of no more than $250 for an individual. The board is expected to consider the new bids at its March 8 meeting and decide March 20 on the level of coverage to require. Some board members have suggested a phased-in drug requirement that would exempt for one or two years people who already have coverage that does not meet the minimum requirements (Dembner, Boston Globe, 2/9).

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