HCR 120

ENROLLED
2026 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 120
BY REPRESENTATIVE LYONS
  A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
To create and establish the PACE Task Force to prioritize access, care, and education on
       GLP-1 medications by studying their clinical history, accessibility, and effect on
       insurance costs for insureds and insurers in this state and to report their written
       findings to the legislature.
       WHEREAS, Glucagon-like peptide or GLP-1 receptor agonist medications
introduced in 2005 for Type 2 diabetes, have rapidly evolved into revolutionary treatments
for chronic weight management following a series of landmark United States Food and Drug
Administration approvals; and
       WHEREAS, this state played a pivotal role in the scientific foundation of these
drugs, heavily contributing to the research and development of GLP-1s as groundbreaking
obesity treatments; and
       WHEREAS, following these advancements, this state experienced an explosion in
demand, highlighted by a roughly eight thousand eight hundred percent increase in
prescription requests within the state's Medicaid plans between July 2022 and January 2023;
and
       WHEREAS, GLP-1 drugs have largely replaced traditional diabetes medications,
causing a massive price jump from roughly twenty dollars per month to over one thousand
two hundred dollars per month, straining state-sponsored insurance plans and driving
millions of dollars in unexpected costs; and
       WHEREAS, despite explicitly prohibiting coverage for GLP-1s strictly indicated for
obesity treatment, Louisiana still expends two hundred million dollars annually on these
medications for diabetic members, while access for primary weight management remains
heavily restricted due to a sixteen thousand dollar annual cost per patient; and
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HCR NO. 120  ENROLLED
       WHEREAS, currently, Louisiana Medicaid covers GLP-1 medications only if the
patient has a qualifying body mass index and co-occurring conditions like type 2 diabetes
exist; and
       WHEREAS, newer oral (pill) forms of GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs are available
for weight loss and type 2 diabetes management, eliminating the need for weekly injections;
and
       WHEREAS, oral (pill) forms of GLP-1 medications approved through 2025 offer a
non-injectable alternative, yet they fail to offer cost savings as they are priced on par with
injectables, continuing to drive up commercial health insurance premiums; and
       WHEREAS, to manage these extreme pharmacy benefit expenditures, public and
private insurers in 2026 are scaling back benefits, implementing strict utilization
management, such as prior authorizations and step-therapy rules, or terminating weight-loss
coverage entirely, leaving millions without access; and
       WHEREAS, while the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has
introduced temporary bridge demonstrations offering select products at a fifty-dollar
monthly copay for eligible beneficiaries, broader structural coverage solutions are urgently
needed; and
       WHEREAS, Louisiana must conduct a comprehensive evaluation of GLP-1
utilization and actuarial dynamics to develop sustainable solutions that expand necessary
healthcare access while protecting the fiscal health of the state and its citizens.
       THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
create and establish the PACE Task Force to study the history, accessibility, and insurance
costs of GLP-1 medications and to propose specific recommendations for legislation.
       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the legislature recommends that the PACE Task
Force, in its consideration, include but not be limited to the following topics:
       (1) Whether GLP-1 medication pricing should differ for diabetes versus weight loss
indications.
       (2) Whether plans covering GLP-1 medications attract higher-risk enrollees.
       (3) Whether strict approval policies reduce insurer spending or shift costs elsewhere.
       (4) Whether, and to what extent, employers restrict GLP-1 coverage to control
premium growth.
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HCR NO. 120  ENROLLED
       (5) Whether lower-income or uninsured populations disproportionately are excluded
due to costs.
       (6) Causes why an insured or enrollee may discontinue GLP-1 medications after
only months of treatment.
       (7) Actuarial projection models showing long-term net savings of GLP-1 coverage
over two, five, and ten years.
       (8) Which form of GLP-1 medication is more cost-effective?
       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall consist of the following
members:
       (1) The commissioner of insurance or his designee.
       (2) The chief executive officer of the Louisiana Association of Health Plans or his
designee.
       (3) The secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health or his designee.
       (4) The chair of the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy or his designee.
       (5) One representative that is a licensed healthcare provider who specializes in
endocrinology and obesity from a list of nominees submitted by Our Lady of the Lake,
Baton Rouge Clinic, or Woman's Metabolic Center appointed by the speaker of the House
of Representatives.
       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall be staffed by the Louisiana
Department of Insurance.
       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that each designating authority shall submit the
names of designees to the task force to the Louisiana Department of Insurance no later than
August 1, 2026.
       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall convene its first meeting no
later than September 1, 2026.
       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of the task force shall serve
without compensation, except per diem or expenses reimbursement to which they may be
individually entitled as members of their constituent organizations.
       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall submit a written report
detailing its findings to the House and Senate committees on insurance no later than
February 12, 2027.
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HCR NO. 120  ENROLLED
       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that any written recommendations or proposals shall
also be submitted to the David R. Poynter Legislative Research Library as required by
R.S. 24:771 and 772.
       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the PACE Task Force shall terminate following
the conclusion of its business or by February 12, 2027, whichever occurs first.
       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
commissioner of the Louisiana Department of Insurance, the president of the Louisiana
Association of Health Plans, the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health, and the
chair of the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy.
  SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
  PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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