Broad reform legislation regulating PBMs, 2SSB 5213, that was supported by the Insurance Commissioner, the Washington State Pharmacy Association, and pharmacies, which would have prohibited requiring the use of mail-order pharmacies except for specialty drugs, reimbursing pharmacies below costs and excluding pharmacies from the network, died on the Senate floor on March 8.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
The 2023 General Session of the 67th Wyoming Legislature adjourned on March 3.
The following bills were signed into law by Gov. Mark Gordon (R):
For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.
All previously published expiration dates related to the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) are once again extended by the Medicaid Agency (Medicaid). The new expiration date is the earlier of March 31, 2023, or any expiration date noticed by Medicaid through a subsequent ALERT.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
SB 1248, legislation repealing several components of the sunrise process for scope expansion, including pharmacy, passed the Senate (21-9) and the House (42-18) and was sent to the Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) for signature. The sunrise process will require material changes to certification, registration, or licensure.
Also in Arizona, on February 20, SB 1254 (Senate Engrossed), legislation repealing the requirement for a Schedule II opioid prescription that is directly dispensed by a pharmacist and that is not for the immediate administration to the ultimate user to have a red cap, passed the Senate and was transmitted to the House.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.
The Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) posted the following alerts and weekly notices on the Medi-Cal Rx Web Portal.
Also in California, Medi-Cal posted the following:
Also in California, on March 23, 2020, the DHCS published a regulatory provider bulletin (Requirements and Procedures for Emergency Medi-Cal Provider Enrollment) that established amended enrollment requirements and procedures for providers to temporarily and provisionally enroll in the Medi-Cal program during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) as authorized by the Section 1135 waiver granted by the CMS. Effective March 29, 2023, DHCS is discontinuing the provider enrollment flexibilities authorized by the Section 1135 waiver. Providers will have 90 days from the end of the waiver period on March 29, to submit an application for enrollment via the Provider Application and Validation for Enrollment (PAVE) portal. Providers who have not submitted an application by June 27, will have their temporary enrollment deactivated, effective June 28.
Also in California, Magellan Rx Management posted the archived webinar for the Medi-Cal Rx Pharmacy Provider Dispensing Fee Self-Attestation that was held on February 23. This online seminar was hosted by Mercer and covered the attestation pharmacies must submit to determine the fee-for-service professional dispensing fee component of the pharmacy claim reimbursement for claims with dates of service within the state’s following fiscal year. The DHCS also posted a current version of the Pharmacy Provider Dispensing Fee Self-Attestation FAQs.
Finally in California, the Board of Pharmacy posted the agenda and meeting materials for the Medication Error Reduction and Workforce Committee Meeting on March 8. The agenda includes a presentation by Peggy Binzer, Executive Director with the Alliance for Quality Improvements and Patient Safety and a discussion of the most recent report of the Well-Being Index.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.
This notice relays information released from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) regarding removal of the DATA Waiver (X-Waiver) requirement for practitioners prescribing buprenorphine. This information applies to customers covered under the Medicaid fee-for-service (FFS) program and by the managed care organizations (MCOs).
Previously, the federal government required practitioners with DEA licenses to also obtain a special waiver (known as an X-Waiver because the DEA Registration Number began with an X) to prescribe medications such as buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) in office-based settings outside of federally registered opioid treatment programs. Health care providers were also restricted in the number of patients with OUD they could treat.
Section 1262 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (also known as the Omnibus bill), removes the federal requirement for practitioners to submit a Notice of Intent (have a waiver) to prescribe buprenorphine for the treatment of OUD. All practitioners who have a current DEA registration that includes Schedule III authority may now prescribe buprenorphine for OUD. There are no longer any annual limits on the number of patients that a prescriber may treat for OUD with buprenorphine. The January 12, 2023, letter from the DEA to waiver registrants identified these changes.
Pharmacies need to be aware of this change, as HFS [Department of Healthcare and Family Services] has received complaints that prescribers without a DEA X-Waiver are having trouble getting their prescriptions honored at local pharmacies.
Questions regarding this notice may be directed to the Bureau of Professional and Ancillary Services at 877-782-5565 for the FFS population or the applicable MCO.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
The Department of Health and Human Services published INFORMATIONAL LETTER NO. 2428-MC-FFS with April 2023 Iowa Medicaid Pharmacy Program Changes related to the following:
Also in Iowa, effective April 1, the Department of Health, and Human Services (Iowa HHS) will no longer require positive COVID-19 tests to be reported to the state Public Health Division. Since the development and widespread availability of rapid in-home tests – which are not required to be reported – the case and positive test counts in the state are no longer as meaningful as they once were. Iowa has no mandatory reporting order for any other respiratory viral illnesses such as influenza, RSV, and rhinovirus.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.
HB 710, legislation permitting pharmacy interns and technicians to administer immunizations, was introduced on February 21 and passed the Business and Labor Committee on February 24. After SB 239 failed to advance, the Montana Retail Association and the Montana Pharmacy Association found a new sponsor to pursue this legislation.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) published Provider Bulletin 23-06: Continuous Glucose Monitoring Updated Medicaid Reimbursement Policy that provides an update to Provider Bulletin 22-22 regarding coverage for eligible beneficiaries with diabetes effective January 1, 2023.
Also in Nebraska, the Board of Pharmacy posted a revised agenda for the March 6 meeting.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Sandra Guckian at 703-774-4801.