Medicaid; establishing coverage parity between opioid and nonopioid pain medications.

SB 161 requires Alabama's Medicaid program to cover nonopioid pain medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with the same coverage terms as opioid pain medications. This directly affects Medicaid recipients who use pain medications and the Alabama Medicaid Agency, which must adjust its preferred drug list to eliminate stricter requirements (like extra prior authorization) for nonopioid options. The bill mandates that nonopioid drugs automatically qualify for parity upon FDA approval, without needing separate committee review. It applies to all nonopioid pain medications approved for treatment, ensuring they face no more restrictive coverage rules than opioids. The law takes effect on October 1, 2025.