Erica Joyner, Author at In The States

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So far Erica Joyner has created 542 blog entries.

Kentucky

With dozens of overdose deaths in the state involving bromazolam, Attorney General Russell Coleman (R) is calling on the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) to take emergency action to ban the drug. Additionally, he has contacted the US Drug Enforcement Administration asking them to quickly schedule the drug as a controlled substance. The drug has already been scheduled in some states, including Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Virginia and West Virginia.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.

Erica Joyner2025-08-07T13:07:35-04:00August 7, 2025|Kentucky|

Louisiana

The Board of Pharmacy will meet on August 19 and 20 at the Board’s office in Baton Rouge. The agenda has not yet been posted, but the meeting schedule is provided below:

Reinstatement Committee – 10:30 am on August 19
Impairment Committee – 1:00 pm on August 19
Finance Committee – 2:30 pm on August 19
Executive Committee – 3:30 pm on August 19
Board Meeting – 9:00 am on August 20
Administrative Hearing – 12:30 pm on August 20

For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.

Erica Joyner2025-08-07T13:06:27-04:00August 7, 2025|Louisiana|

Maryland

The Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC) announced the appointment of Douglas Jacobs, MD, MPH, as its new Executive Director, effective August 18. Dr. Jacobs, a primary care physician, brings extensive experience in public health leadership, policy innovation and clinical care. Most recently, he served as Chief Transformation Officer at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and previously held senior roles in Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services, where he helped lead the state’s COVID-19 response. He is also a practicing primary care doctor with first-hand experience of how policies affect patient care.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.

Erica Joyner2025-08-07T13:05:50-04:00August 7, 2025|Maryland|

Massachusetts

MassHealth shared this month’s Pharmacy Facts. The ordering, referring and prescribing (ORP) referring provider national provider identifier (NPI) is not required for claims for durable medical equipment (DME) and home infusion services billed by pharmacies through the Medicaid Management Information System (MMIS). To avoid denials for claims with dates of service on and after August 1, 2025, pharmacy providers should not enter the ORP referring provider’s NPI on the claims for DME and home infusion services billed through MMIS.

For more information, please contact NACDS’ Mike Sargent at 207-272-6435.

Erica Joyner2025-08-07T13:05:16-04:00August 7, 2025|Massachusetts|

Michigan

The Board of Pharmacy published its meeting agenda for August 20.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.

Erica Joyner2025-08-07T13:04:38-04:00August 7, 2025|Michigan|

Mississippi

Please note survey open for public input on development of Rural Health Transformation Plan. On July 3, Congress passed via the FY 2025 budget reconciliation process H.R. 1, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA). Section 71401 of the Bill modifies Section 2105 of the Social Security Act and establishes a $50 billion grant program ($10 billion per fiscal year for FY 2026 – 2030) for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to distribute payments to the 50 states through the Rural Health Transformation Program. Applications to participate in the grant program must be approved by the HHS Secretary no later than December 31, 2025.

The Office of the Governor, in coordination with the Division of Medicaid (DOM) and the State Department of Health (MSDH), intends to solicit public input through a public survey and a stakeholder forum by the Office of the Governor, develop a Rural Health Transformation Plan (Plan) and submit a timely application for the grant funding. The Office of the Governor will make the final selection for initiatives included in the Plan.

Please complete the survey by 5:00 pm on August 14: Rural Health Transformation Program Stakeholder Survey

See the full Survey: https://medicaid.ms.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Attachment-E-Rural-Health-Transformation-Program-Stakeholder-Survey.pdf

To learn more visit: https://medicaid.ms.gov/rural-health-transformation-program/

For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.

Erica Joyner2025-08-07T13:04:03-04:00August 7, 2025|Mississippi|

Nebraska

The Department of Health and Human Services posted the agenda for the September 9 meeting of the Drug Utilization Review (DUR) Board.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.

Erica Joyner2025-08-07T13:03:00-04:00August 7, 2025|Nebraska|

New York

The Office of Health Insurance Programs of the State Department of Health has approved the release of the June 2025 Medicaid Update. The current issue’s table of contents includes the following:

All Providers

Policy and Billing

Pharmacy

Also in New York, the July Department of Health (DOH) Pharmacy Association meeting shared the updated form for NYRx, the New York State Medicaid Pharmacy Program Coordination of Benefits: Non-Preferred Diabetic Supplies, as discussed in the July Department of Health (DOH), Office of Health Insurance Programs (OHIP) and Pharmacy Associations meeting. The update is also located on the DOH website in the Medical Supplies section under Preferred Diabetic Supply Program (PDSP).

For more information, please contact NACDS’ Mike Sargent at 207-272-6435.

Erica Joyner2025-08-07T13:02:28-04:00August 7, 2025|New York|

North Carolina

With no full budget agreement in sight, state lawmakers reached a deal on a 31-page mini-budget, HB 125: Continuing Budget Operations, which now heads to Gov. Josh Stein (D). The bill allocates over $1 billion in funding, including step increases for public school teachers, support for K-12 growth and Medicaid rebase funding, critical dollars needed annually to cover changing Medicaid costs.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.

Erica Joyner2025-08-07T13:01:22-04:00August 7, 2025|North Carolina|