inthenews, Author at In The States

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Louisiana

Legislators are continuing to meet in a special session convened earlier this month attempting to negotiate a balance budget agreement prior to the star of the new fiscal year on July 1, 2020.

Also in Louisiana... Two COVID-19 emergency rules have been extended until November.

Emergency rule of the Department of Health, Bureau of Health Services Financing, adopts regulations under LAC 50:I, Chapter 5, to establish provisions for the delivery of telemedicine during a declared disaster under the Medical Assistance Program. The rule provides that services may temporarily be provided through the use of an interactive audio telecommunications system, without the requirement of video, if such action is determined to be necessary. The rule, which is issued in response to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, extends a March 16th emergency rule. The rule is effective July 15, 2020, and expires Nov. 12, 2020.

Emergency rule of the Department of Health amends regulations under LAC 51:II, Chapter 1, to add coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19)/infections with SARS-CoV-2 to the list of reportable diseases. The rule also requires laboratories and health care facilities to report testing results. The rule is effective July 5, 2020 and expires Nov. 2, 2020.

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

inthenews2020-06-25T09:25:06-04:00June 25, 2020|Louisiana|

Missouri

Missouri’s MOHealthNet has updated information about its copay policy related to COVID-19. The following is an excerpt: Providers who have collected copayments from participants for dates of service January 1, 2020 through the end of the public health emergency must refund the copayments to the participants. Shared dispensing fees should not be retroactively adjusted.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Joel Kurzman at 847-905-0555.

inthenews2020-06-25T09:23:48-04:00June 25, 2020|Missouri|

Nevada

Gov. Steve Sisolak announced that he is convening a special session of the legislature in early July to address financial and COVID–19 pandemic issues. Nevada anticipates an $812 million budget shortfall this fiscal year ending June 30, 2020 preliminary estimates indicate an approximate $1.3 billion budget shortfall for the 2021 fiscal year that starts July 1, 2020.

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

inthenews2020-06-25T09:22:38-04:00June 25, 2020|Nevada|

New Mexico

On June 18th, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham convened a special legislative session to address the state’s huge fiscal shortfall caused by the oil price crash and novel coronavirus pandemic. The modified budget approved by both the House and Senate that was sent to the Governor uses a combination of spending cuts and federal funding to deal with a projected $2 billion drop in state revenue for the next fiscal year. The revised fiscal year 2021 budget reduces spending by more than $600 million, bringing the budget to $7 billion. The revised budget reduces spending by 4 percent for most state agencies.

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

inthenews2020-06-25T09:21:39-04:00June 25, 2020|New Mexico|

North Carolina

Board Rule .1615 requires all pharmacy and DME permit applicants and holders to obtain and report an e-Profile number issued by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) as a condition of permit issuance or renewal. The renewal period opens on November 1, 2020, all pharmacy and DME permits will be required to provide their business e-Profile number on the renewal application. If a business e-Profile number is not provided, the pharmacy or DME facility will be unable to complete the renewal process. Pharmacies and DME facilities may obtain an e-Profile number without cost. Directions for doing so are found here. A few pharmacists have reached out to the Board and are experiencing technical difficulties obtaining a business e-Profile number from NABP. The issue seems to arise when a pharmacist uses the same computer, browser, and email address that the pharmacist uses to access their personal e-Profile number. NABP staff have identified that the cookies/cached information of the personal e-Profile log-in as creating the problem. NABP staff recommend the following steps prior to creating a business e-Profile: clear the cookies/cache on your current internet browser, use a different internet browser (Google Chrome and Firefox are preferable), create the business e-profile number with a different email address than the one used for your personal e-profile number. If problems persist, please contact NABP.

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

inthenews2020-06-25T09:19:30-04:00June 25, 2020|North Carolina|

South Carolina

South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has announced a temporary, updated provider payment schedule for #HealthyConnections Medicaid claims submission and payments to accommodate the Independence Day holiday. Key dates are included in the full alert, which is available here.

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

inthenews2020-06-25T09:13:48-04:00June 25, 2020|South Carolina|

South Dakota

South Dakota Medicaid is processing a special payroll on Monday, June 29, 2020. Remittance Advices from the payroll will be available on the South Dakota Medicaid online portal on Tuesday, June 30, 2020. Medicaid will have its regularly scheduled payroll on Wednesday July 1, 2020.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Joel Kurzman at 847-905-0555.

inthenews2020-06-25T09:12:41-04:00June 25, 2020|South Dakota|

Texas

NACDS, and our in-state partner, the Texas Federation of Drug Stores, initiated two Zoom conferences with state legislators this week. Walgreens pharmacist Ahmed Jallad participated on the call with El Paso State Senator Jim Moody, and HEB pharmacists Doug Read, Jay Bueche and Carlos Villareal joined the call with Sen. Judith Zaffarini of Laredo to discuss our pharmacy agenda: enhancing technician duties and ratios, expanding access to immunizations, and our efforts to make some of the temporary COVID Executive Order's permanent. Both legislators were very interested expanding access to immunizations.

Also in Texas. The following rules approved by the Board of Pharmacy went into effect on June 18th.

Final rule of the Board of Pharmacy amends regulations under 22 TAC 283 to remove references to pharmacist intern-trainees.
Final rule of the Board of Pharmacy amends regulations under 22 TAC 283 concerning the pharmacist-pharmacy intern relationship and duties to remove references to pharmacist intern-trainee.
Final rule of the Board of Pharmacy amends regulations under 22 TAC 295 to remove the change of name fee for pharmacists.
Final rule of the Board of Pharmacy amends regulations under 22 TAC 295 to require mental health awareness continuing education and clarify the continuing education requirements for pharmacists during their initial license period.
Final rule of the Board of Pharmacy amends regulations under 22 TAC 283 concerning pharmacy interns to remove references to pharmacist intern-trainees and certain requirements for a pharmacist intern, and correct grammatical errors.
Final rule of the Board of Pharmacy adopts regulations under 22 TAC 281 to establish provisions for the temporary suspension or restriction of a pharmacy license or registration based on the determination of a disciplinary panel.
Final rule of the Board of Pharmacy amends regulations under 22 TAC 297 to remove the change of name fee for pharmacy technicians and pharmacy technician trainees.
Final rule of the Board of Pharmacy amends regulations under 22 TAC 283 to remove references to a pharmacist intern-trainee, clarify that a pharmacist preceptor must be certified by the board, and remove a fee for a duplicate or amended certificate.
Final rule of the Board of Pharmacy repeals regulations under 22 TAC 291 to remove provisions on Limited Prescription Delivery Pharmacies (Class H), which no longer exist.

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

inthenews2020-06-25T09:10:53-04:00June 25, 2020|Texas|

Arkansas

On June 12th, NACDS submitted a letter to the Department of Human Services Division of Medical Services in support of a proposed rule that would expand the availability of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) medications and services in the Medicaid program. If adopted, the rule would remove prior authorization for preferred oral drugs for OUD, helping to alleviate administrative burdens on pharmacists and enabling patients to receive their prescriptions in a timelier manner. Additionally, it would allow medication assisted therapy drugs to be exempt from the monthly prescription benefit limit and copay requirement, which would improve access to these important OUD therapies.

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

inthenews2020-06-19T14:26:23-04:00June 18, 2020|Arkansas|