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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — There's an unexpected possible consequence to obtaining the overdose-reversing drug Narcan—but one lawmaker has introduced a bill to change that.
State Sen. Joan Lovely of Salem told WBZ NewsRadio's Shari Small she recently learned that insurance companies can—and some are—cancelling or rejecting life insurance policies based on the fact that a person has obtained Naloxone, also known as Narcan.
She said this can happen even if that person has no history of drug abuse.
Last week, Lovely introduced a bill that would prohibit that practice.
"We want people to be able to fill a script and carry it with them, whether it's for a loved one or whether it's for a stranger, just so that they have this available to them and they're not at risk of losing a life insurance policy," she said.
Currently, the Division of Insurance recommends insurance companies not take Narcan into account when underwriting policies, but Lovely said that's basically just a suggestion.
"We really felt strongly that we wanted to codify it in law," Lovely said.
Last year, Gov. Charlie Baker signed a law allowing people in Massachusetts to walk into a pharmacy and get Narcan without a prescription.
WBZ NewsRadio's Shari Small (@ShariSmallNews) reports
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