MS| Bulletin 2026-7, from the Mississippi Insurance Department, reminds all insurers writing health benefit plans in Mississippi that, following enactment of HB 1143 (2024) and removal of its repealer by HB 856 (2026), Mississippi law now permanently prohibits any health benefit plan that directly or indirectly covers treatment for stage four advanced, metastatic cancer from using step therapy or fail‑first protocols for that condition. Health plans may verify that drug use aligns with best practices and peer‑reviewed medical literature, but they may not limit, exclude, or delay coverage of an FDA‑approved drug for stage four metastatic cancer by requiring the patient to first fail on other drugs, whether explicitly in coverage terms or indirectly through prior authorization requirements. Noncompliant health benefit plans are subject to penalty provisions under Miss. Code Ann. § 83‑5‑17, and the bulletin’s requirements are effective immediately as of its issue date.
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