Virginia Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed HB736 into law April 6, furthering prior authorization reform in the state.
Effective in 2027, the law establishes a minimum duration requirement. Prior authorizations must be in effect for at least six months for initial requests and 12 months for continued requests. Previously, the law did not specify a floor for a prior authorization’s length.
The original law included exceptions to this window, such as fraud, safety issues, drug interactions, and generic and biosimilar access. The updated law broadens exceptions to encompass efficacy issues, as well as times when the FDA, another regulatory agency or the manufacturer wishes to pursue further safety and efficacy monitoring.
Virginia’s move builds upon efforts across the country to simplify and expedite prior authorization. For example, lawmakers in North Dakota, Nebraska and Alaska rolled out reforms in early 2026.
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