BULLETIN NO. 2026-05 (Senate Bills 1443 and 1942 (2026 Session))

Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready issued Bulletin No. 2026-05 on October 30, 2026, addressing two Oklahoma Senate bills enacted during the 2026 legislative session that impose new mandates on health insurers licensed in the state. Senate Bill 1443 creates a new section of Oklahoma law codified at 36 O.S. § 7501, governing how health benefit plans calculate and pay benefits for anesthesia services. The statute defines key terms by reference to prevailing medical coding standards, including CPT code books, the Medicare Claims Processing Manual, and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) guidance. All covered health benefit plans are required to consider patient physical status (including physical status modifiers as determined by the treating physician or provider) and the complexity and urgency of care when determining medical necessity and calculating benefit payment amounts for anesthesia services. SB 1443 further mandates payment of physical status modifiers according to corresponding base unit values for patients classified as ASA III (severe systemic disease, Modifier P3, Base Unit Value 1), ASA IV (severe systemic disease that is a constant threat to life, Modifier P4, Base Unit Value 2), or ASA V (moribund patient not expected to survive without the operation, Modifier P5, Base Unit Value 3). Plans covering Medicaid members under the Ensuring Access to Medicaid Act are expressly excluded from SB 1443's requirements. SB 1443 takes effect November 1, 2026. Senate Bill 1942 amends 36 O.S. § 7301(B)(1) to modify the definition of "Covered services" under Oklahoma's dental plan fee regulation statute. The revised definition reads: "'Covered services' means services reimbursed under the applicable subscriber agreement, notwithstanding and without regard to the contractual limitations on subscriber benefits." SB 1942 takes effect November 1, 2026.