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Illinois

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Emergency Allotments (EAs), which have been issued since the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic to address food insecurity challenges, will end in Illinois after February, when the federal increases expire. This change will impact over one million households and two million people in Illinois.  

The benefit amount participants will receive starting in March will be noted in a client letter sent to all SNAP recipient households.  

The Illinois Department of Human Services seeks to prepare SNAP Participants for U.S. Department of Agriculture’s return of SNAP benefits to the pre- pandemic levels. Grocery and pharmacy retailers can assist in the effort by posting SNAP Reduction Customer Notice posters in their stores.  

Also in Illinois, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services will review the following classes at the Drugs &Therapeutics Advisory Board meeting on April 6: CGRP migraine agents, Oral Antipsychotic (class clean-up). All clinical and financial submissions are due to the Department by 3:00 p.m. CST on March 16. Submissions should be sent to: HFS.SupplementalRebaleProgram@illinois.gov. For more information, please visit here.  

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

2023-01-27T10:14:17-05:00January 27, 2023|Illinois|

Indiana

NACDS was a sponsor of the January 24 Indiana Pharmacists Day at the Capitol. Pharmacists, technicians, interns and pharmacy students participated in advocacy training, provided health screening of legislators and staff and promoted the passage of several healthcare bills dealing with prescription drug rebates and pricing (SB 8, HB 1273), Medicaid reimbursement for clinical services (SB 152), prescribing and dispensing of hormonal contraceptives (SB 153, HB 1224), establishing a statewide standing order for dispensing naloxone (SB 214), “Test and Treat” (HB 1182) and auditing PBMs (HB 1445).

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

2023-01-27T10:13:43-05:00January 27, 2023|Indiana|

Iowa

Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) signed Executive Order Number 10 placing a moratorium on administrative rulemaking and initiating a comprehensive review of all existing administrative rules, including a cost benefit analysis of existing rules to evaluate the public benefits, determine whether the benefits justify the cost and explore less restrictive alternatives consistent with the intended purpose.

Also in Iowa, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Iowa Medicaid published INFORMATIONAL LETTER NO 2415-MC-FFS – End of Continuous Coverage Requirement.

Also in Iowa, as part of its realignment initiative, DHHS announced its new combined health and human services website.  

Finally in Iowa, NACDS sponsored the Iowa Pharmacy Association’s (IPA’s) Pharmacist Day on the Hill held on January 25. Pharmacists and pharmacy students participated in advocacy education and training activities and traveled to the Capitol to advocate for the modernization of the Pharmacy Practice Act, an increase in the Medicaid professional dispensing fee and enforcement of PBM regulations.  

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

2023-01-27T10:13:14-05:00January 27, 2023|Iowa|

Maryland

The Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing on SB 64, legislation that would allow pharmacists to prescribe post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for HIV prevention, on January 31. If any members wish to submit written testimony, please contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack. 

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

2023-01-27T10:12:33-05:00January 27, 2023|Maryland|

Massachusetts

The Board of Pharmacy has approved draft sterile compounding regulations to conform with the new USP standards. These regulations will require a public hearing and comments and review by the Governor before they are finalized.  

Also in Massachusetts, an APS (Automated Pharmacy Systems) that meets all the requirements of the policy, and having been approved by the Board, is considered an extension of the pharmacy’s licensed area whether its location is contiguous or non-contiguous to the pharmacy. As a reminder, one of the policy’s requirements is that the APS must be at the same physical address as the pharmacy. Please see the updated policy 2022-07 relative to Automated Pharmacy Systems. 

For more information, please contact NACDS’ Ben Pearlman at 617-515-2603.

2023-01-27T10:11:57-05:00January 27, 2023|Massachusetts|

Nebraska

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will launch a new iServe Nebraska portal on January 27 that will serve as an easy-to-use system for individuals to apply to get help with food, heat, electricity, healthcare, childcare, and other essential needs. Individuals may apply for a single benefit or more at the same time. Also, starting March 1, DHHS will review each Medicaid member’s current eligibility. Members who are no longer eligible for Medicaid will have their information forwarded to the federal marketplace for follow-up about other coverage options.

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

2023-01-27T10:10:06-05:00January 27, 2023|Nebraska|

Ohio

The next payment for the Supplemental (managed care) dispensing fee (as pharmacy commonly refer to it) is scheduled to be paid to pharmacies between February 1-15. This is the first payment of the fee for 2023 and since the October 1 implementation of the SPBM. Under the SPBM, the payments will run as a special financial cycle and will appear on the non-Claim 835. You can identify these payments on your Remittance Advice by the reason code of 9638 – “QtrSuppDispFee.” For more information, please see the FAQ ODM was issued this week. The supplemental fee expires in June 2023, as it was meant to be a stopgap to assist pharmacies while the SPBM system was being developed. 

Also in Ohio, NACDS submitted a comment letter to the Common Sense Initiative (CSI) regarding the Board of Pharmacy’s proposed rule that would allow pharmacy technicians to administer vaccines. The letter expresses pharmacy’s strong support for the bill but asks that the CSI recommend that the Board remove the ratio for technician vaccinators and align the training requirement hours with the PREP Act.  

Finally in Ohio, the Department of Medicaid posted Myers & Stauffer’s 2022 Pharmacy Cost of Dispensing Survey report. NACDS is currently analyzing the report that found that the cost to dispense increased since 2022. They reported a weighted mean of $9.46 and a weighted median of $8.44 as the cost to dispense for non-specialty providers. 

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

2023-01-27T10:09:27-05:00January 27, 2023|Ohio|

Pennsylvania

The General Assembly’s joint Legislative Budget and Finance Committee (LBFC) finally released its study of Pharmaceutical Pricing in the Commonwealth’s Medicaid managed care program this week. The study was mandated by the passage of HB 941 of 2021, legislation that required key reforms to PBM practices in the program. These included prohibiting clawbacks, increasing transparency and eliminating spread pricing. Though LBFC cited they had difficulty accessing key data, the report makes several recommendations to the General Assembly to tighten up current law, increase pricing transparency and enforce the requirement for the release of data. NACDS is working with the Pennsylvania Association of Chain Drug Stores (PACDS), the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association and other allies to advocate for legislation to address these issues.

Also in Pennsylvania, the Board of Pharmacy released its January 31 meeting agenda. Please note they will be discussing the proposed Pharmacy Technician Rules.

Finally in Pennsylvania, Medicaid issued a Bulletin with updated billing instructions for the COVID-19 bivalent booster, and Magellan announced updates and enhancements to PACE/PACENET web portal, including its embedded software applications and tools. 

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

2023-01-27T10:08:27-05:00January 27, 2023|Pennsylvania|

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