Capital Corner
Welcome to the latest installment of Capital Corner, a column that aims to update you on some of the issues that NCOIL is following. Below are some of the issues that NCOIL will be discussing at the upcoming NCOIL Spring Meeting in Charleston.
hile most of the recent news headlines have focused on how Congress is busy dealing with Cabinet appointments, budget planning, and Executive Orders, state insurance legislators also have serious issues on their plates. A glance at some of the issues to be addressed at the NCOIL Spring Meeting in Charleston, April 24-27, shows just how busy state insurance legislators are, and how active and relevant the state insurance system is. What’s more is that 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the McCarran-Ferguson Act, something that we all should celebrate.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and Prescription Drug Affordability Boards (PDABs) are two of the most talked about issues facing the insurance marketplace today, so it is fitting that they will be the subject of the two general sessions at the Spring Meeting. The AI session will serve as a starting point for a year-long discussion on the issue, with the goal of developing model legislation setting forth some guardrails as to how insurers can utilize AI in claims and coverage determinations. If you’re reading this, you likely know that state legislatures have been very active in this space, with some introducing very broad legislation crossing many different areas , while others have focused on a specific issue such as AI’s use in medical necessity determinations.
Enacting a PDAB has been a controversial approach that some states have chosen in an effort to explore ways to lower prescription drug spending. At the Spring Meeting, we’ll have part 1 of a 2part series focused on PDABs. The first session in Charleston will serve as an introduction to PDABs. Attendees will hear a high-level overview of overall state PDAB activity from Laura Jenkins, Ph.D., Senior Associate at Charles River Associates, and hear about Maryland’s experience in establishing the nation’s first PDAB (Andrew York, PharmD, JD, Executive Director of the Maryland PDAB). Part 2 of the series will be held at the Summer Meeting in July, and it will be an opportunity for stakeholders to provide their perspectives on PDABs.
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