New York met its April 1 deadline for completion of its 2019-20 state budget. The final budget included a rejection of an across-the-board reduction in Medicaid claims totaling $380 million in combined federal and state dollars and included the elimination of spread pricing for Medicaid Managed Care plans. It did not include an expansion of the pharmacy technician ratio that was supported by NACDS. A $100 million opioid excise tax on drug manufacturers and wholesalers was also included. NACDS and the Community Pharmacy Association of New York State worked diligently to reject this tax citing that this would really be a tax on patients and pharmacies. NACDS is coordinating a legal review of the new tax law with the Healthcare Distribution Alliance to identify potential legal challenges, if any, to the new law.
For more information, please contact NACDS’ Ben Pearlman at 617-515-2603.