NACDS and the California Retailers Association (CRA) submitted a letter urging Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) to sign AB 1803, clean-up legislation delaying the implementation of AB 315 (Chapter #905, 2018) and AB 2863 (Chapter #770, 2018) until Wednesday, January 1, 2020. Subsequently, the Gov. Newsom signed the bill into law on July 12, effective immediately. This law will provide pharmacies and health plans the time they need to set up their contracts and computer systems to allow for the cash price information to be shared effectively and efficiently when a patient chooses to pay retail price for the drug because it is cheaper. The patient can then have that amount deducted from their health plan’s required deductible.
Also in California… In response to CalRecycle’s draft regulatory text implementing SB 212 (Chapter #1004, 2018), the drug take-back and sharps law, NACDS and CRA submitted a letter detailing our concerns with the draft language. We will continue to monitor and participate in the rulemaking process.
Also in California… In response to the lawsuit filed last month by the California Pharmacists Association (CPhA) through the Californians for Access to Life-Saving Medicine, the Department of Health Care Services agreed to temporarily stop the Medi-Cal retroactive recoupments on June 14. The agreement came as the attorneys for CPhA and Deputy Attorney General (who represents the State) negotiated over the court hearing date for the judge to consider the motion for a preliminary injunction. With this agreement, CPhA has withdrawn its request for the court to consider the preliminary injunction on the shortened timeframe of July 12. Therefore, the hearing will now occur on Friday, August 30.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.