Michael Silber, Author at In The States

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So far Michael Silber has created 2747 blog entries.

Missouri

The Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) renewed the naloxone standing order with a June 2, 2027, expiration date.

Also in Missouri, effective June 1, MOHealthNet no longer offers manual overrides for pharmacy claims rejected due to missing or incorrectly formatted ICD-10 diagnosis codes under the Diagnosis Code Required Policy Edit, as found in the Pharmacy Clinical Edits and Preferred Drug Lists. Claims for agents included in the Diagnosis Code Required Policy Edit must include a valid, billable ICD-10 code to be processed successfully.

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

Michael Silber2026-06-05T10:23:30-04:00June 5, 2026|Missouri|

Montana

Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) announced the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins signed the state’s waiver to ban soft drinks, junk food and candy from the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Copies of both the waiver request and governor’s letter are available to provide details.

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

Michael Silber2026-06-05T10:22:06-04:00June 5, 2026|Montana|

Nebraska

The Department of Health and Human Services issued Provider Bulletin 26-05 to clarify Medicaid coverage of prescribed "exempt" infant formula.

Also in Nebraska, the Department of Health and Human Services posted the draft minutes from the Drug Utilization Review (DUR) Board's May 12 meeting. The next meeting will be held on August 18. 

Finally in Nebraska, the Department of Health and Human Services announced the first issuance of Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) benefits. Summer EBT is available to families with eligible school-age children to help them buy groceries during the summer months. To align with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Summer EBT benefits can no longer be used to purchase soda or energy drinks, beginning this year.

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

Michael Silber2026-06-05T10:21:32-04:00June 5, 2026|Nebraska|

Nevada

NACDS, the Retail Association of Nevada and our chain members applauded Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) for directing the Board of Pharmacy to permanently withdraw the proposed staffing rules from the June 4 hearing agenda. The Governor made this decision after reviewing an independent analysis commissioned by NACDS and conducted by Applied Analytics, a well-respected Nevada-based consulting group and the Governor’s pollster. The analysis revealed that complying with the proposed rules would require hiring an unprecedented number of pharmacists statewide—far beyond the available labor supply. Furthermore, it conservatively estimated that compliance could cost retail pharmacies an additional $39.3 million in wages, threatening the sustainability of pharmacy services given Nevada providers’ already narrow operating margins.

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

Michael Silber2026-06-05T10:20:30-04:00June 5, 2026|Nevada|

North Dakota

The 2026 North Dakota Immunization Conference will take place in Bismarck on June 23–24. This year’s conference features timely and impactful keynote presentations focused on strengthening immunization efforts and supporting healthcare professionals. The conference offers valuable education, practical strategies and opportunities to connect with healthcare professionals from across the state. Attendees have the option to choose in person or online when registering. Early bird pricing ends on May 31.

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

Michael Silber2026-06-05T10:19:01-04:00June 5, 2026|North Dakota|

Oregon

The Board of Pharmacy posted the June 10-12 Board Meeting Agenda and meeting materials. Additional meeting materials may be added to the agenda prior to the board meeting. Visit the board website for current meeting materials. 

Also in Oregon, the Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB) posted its draft agenda for the June 17 meeting. Check the PDAB website for updates prior to the meeting.  Register in advance.

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

Michael Silber2026-06-05T10:18:32-04:00June 5, 2026|Oregon|

Texas

The Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Stephanie Muth announced a leadership change at the Department of State Health Services (DSHS). Imelda Garcia, MPH, the current chief deputy commissioner at DSHS, will become the interim commissioner. Jennifer Shuford, MD, MPH, who has led DSHS since September 2022, was recruited by the Trump Administration to serve as the new Deputy Director and Chief Medical Officer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Also in Texas, the Board of Pharmacy provided a summary of adopted and proposed rules from the May 5 board meeting.

Also in Texas, the House Public Health Committee convened a hearing on June 4 to address several interim charges. Topics included the implementation and rulemaking of legislation passed in 2025 related to rural health care (HB 18) and health and nutrition standards (HB 25). Members received updates on the progress of the Rural Health Transformation Program. The committee also heard testimony regarding telehealth, with a focus on evaluating virtual care models and their effects on access, cost, quality and patient outcomes. Finally, the committee was briefed on Texas's current and projected healthcare workforce shortages.

Also in Texas, the Health and Human Service Commission (HHSC) add all recommended adult vaccines to the Medicaid formulary as a payable pharmacy benefit beginning June 1. While adult vaccines were previously only covered under the Medicaid medical benefit, this rollout allows Medicaid to reimburse pharmacies for both the vaccine ingredient and administration costs for adults ages 19 years and older. To administer vaccines through the pharmacy benefit, a pharmacy must have an executed a Collaborative Practice Agreement (CPA) with a licensed provider serving as a standing order. If there is no CPA, the pharmacy must obtain a patient-specific prescription from the treating clinician before administering the vaccine.

Also in Texas, the revised VDP Pharmacy Provider Procedure Manual, including information about benefits, policies and procedures for outpatient pharmacy claims and rebates, is now available.

Also in Texas, the Texas Pharmaceutical Initiative released its revised business plan that was submitted to Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on June 1.

Finally in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) appointed Jay Bueche to the Texas Pharmaceutical Initiative (TPI) Governing Board for a term set to expire on February 1, 2031. The Board is tasked with developing a business plan to provide cost effective drugs and other medical supplies for the public employee sector.

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

Michael Silber2026-06-05T10:17:31-04:00June 5, 2026|Texas|

Virginia

NACDS learned that the Department of Medicaid Services moved up the release of the RFP for the Single PBM program to fall 2026, signaling a strong commitment from the Spanberger Administration to bring financial relief to pharmacies.

Also in Virginia, Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) vetoed HB 483 and SB 271, companion bills that would have created a Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB). In her veto statement, the Governor reasoned that similar entities in other states have not worked to lower the price of prescription drugs and that she proudly signed other bills to help reduce healthcare costs, including SB 669, which will hold PBMs accountable by requiring health insurance carriers to offer transparent plan options.

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

Michael Silber2026-06-05T10:16:53-04:00June 5, 2026|Virginia|

Washington

The State Health Care Authority hosted a webinar on June 4 to educate providers about the implications of H.R. 1 changes to Apple Health (Medicaid) eligibility for refugees, asylees and other non-citizen adults.

Also in Washington, effective April 1, all prescribing providers must be enrolled with ProviderOne as an Apple Health provider. This includes any pharmacists who administer vaccines or prescribe products within their scope of practice. While this requirement has been in effect for the fee-for-service program since 2014, starting in April this will also apply to managed care organizations (MCOs).

Also in Washington, the Department of Health (DOH) launched a new Vaccine Recommendations webpage, providing current state immunization recommendations and related guidance for health care providers and local health jurisdictions.

Also in Washington, following the completion of its accessible labeling rulemaking in January 2025, the Pharmacy Quality Assurance Commission developed a signage template, per WAC 246-945-029, for dispensing practitioners and dispensing facilities to inform patients of the availability of interpretation and translation services. This template can be displayed to meet the signage requirement in WAC 246-945-029(3) or printed out and provided to the patient to meet the notification requirement in WAC 246-945-029(4). The template is now available through the commission's Policies, Procedures and Guidelines webpage.

Finally in Washington, the Department of Health's Community Health Worker Community of Practice (CHW COP) is hosting a webinar on June 23, focusing on partnering with pharmacies by highlighting the role of Community Health Workers in supporting access to medications, preventive services and coordinated care within the community.

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

Michael Silber2026-06-05T10:16:21-04:00June 5, 2026|Washington|