The Iowa Medicaid Enterprise has added a new provider type to allow pharmacists to enroll as Medicaid providers. Pursuant to statewide protocols, this will allow pharmacists to order and dispense naloxone and nicotine replacement therapy tobacco cessation products, as well as to order and administer vaccines to Medicaid members. For details, please see the Informational Letter No. 2048-MC-FFS dated November 18.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Joel Kurzman at 847-905-0555.
The Department of Health Bureau of Health Services and Financing issued a Medicaid provider notice that effective December 15, the Fee-for-Service Pharmacy program and Managed Care organizations will implement a new POS diagnosis code requirement and quantity limits for certain nasal sprays.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
In November, the Mississippi Division of Medicaid (DOM) introduced a new Provider Satisfaction Survey, which is a brief, electronic survey distributed to the provider community on a quarterly basis. If members haven’t yet had a chance to fill it out, the survey will remain open for another 30 days. Each survey will cover a different topic, and we will share the results once each survey is closed and the answers are compiled. For the first survey, the Department wants to hear what topics/challenges are of most interest to providers. Mississippi Division of Medicaid Provider Satisfaction Survey. The survey will remain open through the end of December.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
The MO HealthNet Pharmacy Help Desk (800-392-8030) has new phone menu sub-options effective November 21, including for early refill or opioid requests and rejections. For additional information, providers can email the Help Desk.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Joel Kurzman at 847-905-0555.
Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) appointed three new members to the seven-member Board of Pharmacy – public member Richard Tomasso, hospital pharmacist Krystal Freitas, and pharmacist Helen Parks who will serve as president. There is still one vacant pharmacist seat.
Also in Nevada… NACDS submitted comments supporting a proposed rule allowing pharmacists to delegate access to run the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) reports to delegates including intern pharmacists, pharmaceutical technicians or pharmaceutical technicians in training. This rulemaking serves to eliminate some the administrative barriers that pharmacists encounter when running PDMP reports.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
In an effort to get Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s (D) Administration to include reimbursement to pharmacists for clinical services in the 2020 one-month fiscal session, NACDS provided our in-state partner, the New Mexico Pharmacists Association, with recommendations for an upcoming meeting with David R. Scrase, MD, the Secretary of the Human Services Department.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.
Effective January 1, 2020, Medicaid will process pharmacy claims for the Healthy Steps (CHIP) program as well as Medicaid Expansion. For more information, please contact Alexi Murphy, PharmD, at 701-328-4061.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Joel Kurzman at 847-905-0555.
On November 1, the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation began reimbursing pharmacies for dispensing a drug disposal system to patients receiving an opioid prescription for the first time in the last 12 months. The Bureau’s October 2019 issue of the Provider eNews includes an overview of the program.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.
HEB pharmacist Doug Read was appointed to serve a three year term on the newly created Prescription Monitoring Program Advisory Committee charged with making recommendations to the Texas State Board of Pharmacy regarding operational improvements to the Prescription Monitoring Program, resolutions to identified data concerns, methods to improve data accuracy, integrity and security, and ways to reduce technical difficulties, as well as the addition of any new data sets or services to the information provided or the access to that information.
Also in Texas… House Speaker Dennis Bonnen (R) issued a press release announcing the creation of an 11-member House Select Committee on Statewide Healthcare Costs. The Speaker will serve as Chair. NACDS will closely monitor and engage in the Committee’s activities during the interim.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.