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Massachusetts

On January 22, Gov. Maura Healey (D) announced her Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal. The proposal includes two relevant sections for pharmacies:  

  1. The Commonwealth may impose a fee on each prescription dispensed in the state by pharmacies which will include retail, hospital, compounding, specialty and 340B pharmacies. The amount each pharmacy shall pay shall not exceed the lesser of the $2.00 per prescription dispensed by the pharmacy, or an amount equal to 6% of the revenues received by the pharmacy. The Executive Office of Human Services (EOHS) is also given the power to enforce this provision through license suspensions, fines and liens. MassHealth has indicated that these new funds will be used to increase the dispensing fees for all pharmacies that dispense prescriptions in the Fee-for-Service Program and to mandate dispensing fee floors for all pharmacies that participate in the MassHealth MCO pharmacy contracts.  
  2. EOHS will seek to create a Universal Adult Vaccine Program. This proposal would expand the current Childhood Vaccination Purchase Trust Fund and require pharmacies to participate in the new program for providing state-sponsored adult vaccines.  

NACDS will continue to work with the Massachusetts Chain Pharmacy Council to engage the administration and legislature. A collective meeting had been scheduled for the end of the month with MassHealth and Mercer on the ongoing cost of dispensing study issues. This meeting and others will be moved up sooner.  

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

2025-01-24T13:59:41-05:00January 24, 2025|Massachusetts|

Nevada

In advance of the Board of Pharmacy’s Public Hearing on January 16 on proposed rules on minimum staffing requirements, NACDS submitted a letter of concern. Rather than imposing burdensome staffing requirements that could limit pharmacies’ ability to deliver pharmacy care, we urged the Board to focus on policy changes that allow pharmacies to deploy innovative pharmacy care models and technologies that improve pharmacy efficiencies and enhance capacity to deliver the level of care that patients demand. 

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

2025-01-24T13:58:21-05:00January 24, 2025|Nevada|

New York

On January 21, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) released her budget proposal. The budget includes the following outside sections relevant to pharmacies:  

  • Pharmacist Vaccinations: Would codify PREP Act authorization for pharmacists to administer a COVID-19 vaccine to children ages 2 years and older. 
  • Pharmacist Cessation: Would authorize a pharmacist to prescribe and order medications to treat nicotine dependence approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for smoking cessation. 
  • Pharmacy Tech Vaccinations: Would codify PREP Act authorization for registered pharmacy technicians to administer all vaccines that pharmacists may administer under the supervision of a pharmacist, if they meet training requirements, etc.  
  • Medical Assistant Vaccinations: Would authorize a medical assistant under the supervision of a physician or a physician's assistant (PA) to administer vaccinations. 
  • Controlled Substances: Proposes to align the state's controlled substance schedules with the US Drug Enforcement Administration.  
  • Medication Abortion Labels: Would require pharmacies, at the request of the prescriber, to list only the facility name, not the prescriber's name on prescription pill bottles for mifepristone, misoprostol and other medication abortion drugs.  
  • Prescriber Prevails: Proposes to eliminate prescriber prevails in Medicaid. The program would have to consider additional information related to coverage, but the program's determination would be final. 
  • Medicaid Global Spending Cap: Extends the global spending cap one year through 2026-2027. 

NACDS will continue to monitor the budget process in the state and advocate for policy priorities.  

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

2025-01-24T13:57:45-05:00January 24, 2025|New York|

South Carolina

The Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS) regularly offers free Healthy Connections Medicaid training to enrolled Healthy Connections Medicaid providers and their billing agents. These recurring trainings are conducted by SCDHHS’ contracted vendors. Information about the upcoming February-April trainings and to register for a workshop or find additional training resources, please visit the Medicaid Provider Education website or call the Provider Service Center (PSC) at (888) 289-0709. The PSC’s hours of operation are 7:30 am-5:00 pm Monday-Thursday and 8:30 am-5:00 pm Friday.

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

2025-01-24T13:57:07-05:00January 24, 2025|South Carolina|

Texas

Several bills of interest to pharmacies have been filed. 

  • SB 254 by Sen. Pete Flores (R) allows pharmacists to order and administer immunizations and vaccinations to patients ages three years and older, and to those younger than three years of age, if referred by a physician. It also gives pharmacist's authority to delegate vaccine administration to a certified pharmacy technician.  
  • SB 398 by Sen. Kevin Sparks (R) allows a pharmacy technician of a pharmacist's authority to administer an immunization or vaccine under the supervision of a pharmacist. 
  • SB 623 by Sen. Charles Schwertner (R) gives the pharmacists the right to determine if a vaccine, including a COVID vaccine, should be administered to a patient. 

Also in Texas, the Health and Human Services Commission's (HHSC) Medicaid Vendor Drug Program (VDP) met with pharmacy stakeholders on January 22. The agenda included updates on the timeline on implementing legislation passed in 2023, and the progress on several pending projects, including adult vaccinations and adding non-drug like Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGM) to the Medicaid formulary. 

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

2025-01-24T13:56:33-05:00January 24, 2025|Texas|

California

Assemblywoman Mia Bonta (D) introduced AB 50, legislation permitting pharmacists to provide over-the-counter contraceptives without following the protocols required for prescription contraceptives.

Also in California, the Department of Health Care Services posted the following alerts and weekly notice on the Medi-Cal Rx Web Portal:

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

2026-01-15T07:23:22-05:00December 13, 2024|California|

Connecticut

The General Assembly formed a bi-partisan and bi-cameral task force to hear proposals for drug cost containment and PBM regulation in advance of the 2025 legislative session.  NACDS participated in the opening meeting on December 4 and will continue to be a presence throughout the working group’s meetings.  NACDS has also met with all four co-chairs of the task force to highlight our policy priorities and states that have taken helpful and thorough action.  The task force will be breaking down their work into four subcommittees: (1) PBM oversight, (2) Importation and Shortages, (3) Pricing and 340B and (4) Patient Protection, Rare Diseases, and Innovation.  These subcommittees will each meet three times.  The task force’s final meeting is scheduled for February 11, 2025.

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

2024-12-13T10:30:05-05:00December 13, 2024|Connecticut|

Iowa

With an effective date of November 27, the Insurance Division published ARC 8427C as adopted and filed emergency rule making related to timely payment of pharmacy claims.

Also in Iowa, the Insurance Division published ARC 8429C as a Notice of Intended Action. This Notice of Intent is to solicit public comment on the above emergency rulemaking; see ARC 8427C. This proposed rulemaking is related to timely payment of pharmacy claims and providing an opportunity for public comment. Written comments may to submitted to the Division no later than 4:30 pm on December 19. A public hearing will be held on December 19 from 10:00 am-11:00 am.

Finally in Iowa, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Medicaid posted INFORMATIONAL LETTER NO. 2647-MC-FFS-D – January 2025 Medicaid Pharmacy Program Changes, effective January 1, 2025.

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

2024-12-13T10:29:31-05:00December 13, 2024|Iowa|
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