Massachusetts legislation · 194th General Court
Massachusetts S781: An Act to help patients and reduce healthcare costs by ensuring patient adherence to medications
Status: Failed, February 26, 2026
What the bill says
From the introduced text, February 27, 2025:
An individual or group health insurance policy providing prescription drug coverage in the state must permit and apply a pro-rated daily cost-sharing rate to prescriptions dispensed by a network pharmacy for a partial supply if the prescriber or pharmacist determines the fill or refill to be in the best interest of the patient and the patient requests or agrees to a partial supply for the purpose of synchronizing the patient’s medications. No individual or group health insurance policy providing prescription drug coverage shall deny coverage for the dispensing of a medication by a network pharmacy on the basis that the dispensing is for a partial supply if the prescriber or pharmacist determines the fill or refill to be in the best interest of the patient and the patient requests or agrees to a partial supply for the purpose of synchronizing the patient’s medications. The individual or group health plan must allow a pharmacy to override any denial codes indicating that a prescription is being refilled too soon for the purposes of medication synchronization. No individual or group health insurance policy providing prescription drug coverage shall use payment structures incorporating pro-rated dispensing fees. Dispensing fees for partially filled or refilled prescriptions shall be paid in full for each prescription dispensed regardless of any pro-rated copay for the beneficiary or fee paid …
Sponsors
- Joan Lovely (D, Second Essex) · primary sponsor
- Tarr, Bruce E. (R, First Essex and Middlesex)
Latest actions
- : Accompanied a study order, see S2972
- : Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on Health Care Financing
- : Hearing scheduled for 06/10/2025 from 10:30 AM-01:00 PM in A-2
- : House concurred
- : Referred to the committee on Financial Services
Votes
- Committee Vote - Joint Committee on Financial Services (December 2, 2025): 6 yea, 0 nay, passed
Common questions
- What is S781?
- S781 is a bill in the Massachusetts Legislature (194th General Court): An Act to help patients and reduce healthcare costs by ensuring patient adherence to medications.
- What is the status of S781?
- Failed as of February 26, 2026. Latest action: Accompanied a study order, see S2972 (February 26, 2026).
- Who sponsored S781?
- Joan Lovely (D, Second Essex), with 1 co-sponsor.
- Where is the official record for S781?
- On the Massachusetts Legislature website: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S781
Source: official Massachusetts record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.