UC San Diego

Several US states have recently introduced and/or passed laws mandating health insurance coverage of non-pharmacological pain management treatment therapies (NPMT) as a non-opioid alternative for the treatment of pain. This thesis explores the heterogeneity of the existing legislation regarding benefit mandates of NPMTs and the potential implications of variation. A systemic characterization was conducted with the seven US states that mandate NPMT therapies for the management and treatment of pain. Features of the legislation were summarized by theme (e.g., eligible treatment/providers). Analysis documented substantial differences across all seven states that may influence patient access to these treatments. As future policymakers consider enacting NPMT benefit mandates, there are key considerations to be made including how specific the policy language should be in regard to eligible treatments and providers, benefit design, inclusion of publicly insured populations in required coverage, and interaction with other state and federal policies.