Maryland Medical Assistance Program and Health Insurance - Nonopioid Drugs for the Treatment of Pain

SB 974 requires Maryland's Medicaid program (Maryland Medical Assistance Program) and certain insurers, health plans, and managed care organizations to provide equal coverage for nonopioid pain medications as they do for opioid pain medications. Specifically, it prohibits applying stricter prior authorization, step therapy, or "fail-first" protocols for nonopioid drugs than those used for opioids. The law mandates coverage for FDA-approved nonopioid pain drugs to the same extent as covered opioid drugs, effective July 1, 2026. This directly affects patients seeking nonopioid pain treatment and the insurers/programs that cover these medications.