Astoria, OR – On January 1, 2024, many new laws immediately take effect:
Senate Bill (SB) 82: strengthens consumer protections for homeowners dealing with wildfire-related issues. It requires insurance companies to explain, using property-specific characteristics, why a policy might not be getting renewed or why a rate is going up, and to reflect in rating and underwriting plans how that insurer addresses or considers wildfire risk mitigation actions. These actions could include creation of defensible space, home hardening, and community-based mitigation activities. It also requires insurers to allow up to 36 months to repair, rebuild, or replace damaged or lost property if it was directly related to a fire that was subject of an order under the Emergency Conflagration Act. This bill also prohibits insurance companies from using statewide wildfire risk maps published by the Oregon Department of Forestry as a basis for canceling or declining to renew a policy or increasing premiums.
SB 192: directs the Oregon Prescription Drug Affordability Board to develop a plan for upper payment limits to contain costs of prescription drugs in the state, requires pharmacy benefit managers to provide price transparency reports to DCBS, expands health insurance company transparency reporting, and makes other technical changes to strengthen DCBS prescription drug pricing programs. Pharmacy benefit managers will report annually to DCBS about certain rebates, fees, price protection payments, and other payments received from prescription drug manufacturers, shedding more light on the effect of industry practices on the prices Oregonians pay for drugs.
SB 536: establishes new disclosure and care obligations for the sale of annuities in Oregon and permits the sale of registered index-linked annuities in the state. Producers and brokers must also complete, at a minimum, a four-hour training course with a continuing education provider that has registered with DCBS.
SB 628: requires health benefit plan coverage of certain treatments for pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections.
SB 797: requires health insurance policies that cover expenses of hospital, medical, or surgical services to cover medically necessary prosthetic and orthotic devices.
SB 1041: prevents group and individual health benefit plans that cover supplemental and diagnostic breast examinations from imposing deductibles, co-insurance, co-payments, or any other out-of-pocket expenses on those services.
SB 1529: passed in 2022 with a delayed implementation date and was amended in 2023 by House Bill (HB) 3008: It requires health benefit plan coverage of three primary care or behavioral health visits with a co-pay of no more than $5 and requires health benefit plan issuers to automatically assign members to primary care providers (PCP) if they do not select a PCP after the first 90 days of the plan year.
HB 2002: establishes a right to make decisions about an individual’s reproductive health and allows any person to bring a civil action against a public body to enforce this right. The bill also establishes a statutory requirement for health benefit plans to cover gender-affirming treatment. It also prohibits medical malpractice insurers from taking adverse action against health care providers for providing reproductive health or gender-affirming care services that are legal in Oregon.
