Autoimmune disease drugs are pricey. This bill could switch patients to a cheaper one

Close to 25,000 Californians could see a change in their medication starting as soon as next year if Gov. Gavin Newsom signs legislation now sitting on his desk.

Senate Bill 1094 by Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson, a San Diego Democrat, would allow health insurers and pharmacists to substitute a patient’s brand name biologic drug with a lower cost alternative known as a biosimilar, unless a patient’s doctor objects. The bill would require health insurance plans to give doctors and patients 60 days’ notice before switching a medication.