(a) (1) A health insurer that reports rate information pursuant to Section 10181.3 or 10181.45 shall report the information described in paragraph (2) to the department no later than October 1 of each year, beginning October 1, 2018.

(2) For all covered prescription drugs, including generic drugs, brand name drugs, and specialty drugs dispensed at a plan pharmacy, network pharmacy, or mail order pharmacy for outpatient use, all of the following shall be reported:

(A) The 25 most frequently prescribed drugs.

(B) The 25 most costly drugs by total annual plan spending.

(C) The 25 drugs with the highest year-over-year increase in total annual plan spending.

(b) The department shall compile the information reported pursuant to subdivision (a) into a report for the public and legislators that demonstrates the overall impact of drug costs on health care premiums. The data in the report shall be aggregated and shall not reveal information specific to individual health insurers.

(c) For the purposes of this section, a “specialty drug” is one that exceeds the threshold for a specialty drug under the Medicare Part D program (Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (Public Law 108-173)).

(d) By January 1 of each year, beginning January 1, 2018, the department shall publish on its Internet Web site the report required pursuant to subdivision (b).

(e) After the report required in subdivision (b) is released, the department shall include the report as part of the public meeting required pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 10181.45.

(f) Except for the report required pursuant to subdivision (b), the department shall keep confidential all of the information provided to the department pursuant to this section, and the information shall be protected from public disclosure.

(Added by Stats. 2017, Ch. 603, Sec. 5. (SB 17) Effective January 1, 2018.)