The EPCS 2.0 Act requires health insurance plans and insurers to mandate that participating doctors electronically prescribe all controlled substances in Schedule II through V categories beginning January 1, 2026. The requirement applies to group health plans, individual health insurance coverage, and employer-sponsored plans covered under federal law. The bill includes numerous exceptions for situations where electronic prescribing is impractical, such as when a patient cannot obtain the medication in a timely manner, during temporary technology failures, for hospice patients, or when FDA regulations prevent electronic transmission due to safety requirements. Insurance plans cannot penalize pharmacies for filling prescriptions that weren't submitted electronically, cannot require pharmacies to verify provider compliance, and cannot force doctors to use specific electronic prescribing vendors or systems. Plans and issuers must develop uniform processes for granting exceptions and must annually certify their compliance with federal officials. The Attorney General must update federal regulations on authentication requirements for electronic controlled substance prescriptions within one year of the law's enactment.
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