Medicaid will host a conversation with staff from the state’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program known as E-FORCSE to provide insights into the new program requirements and opportunities following passage of HB 21. The webinar will be held on Tuesday, June 12 at 12:00 p.m. EDT. Register online after which you will receive an email confirmation. Please send questions to Medicaid staff.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
Last fall, CMS approved the State Plan Amendment (SPA) for a new Medicaid fee-for-service reimbursement methodology. Subsequently, the Agency for Health Care Administration promulgated a final rule consistent with the approved SPA. Medicaid will begin reimbursing pharmacy providers using the new methodology on Friday, June 15. A subsequent provider alert will outline the plan for scheduling the reprocessing of pharmacy claims retroactive to April 1, 2017 in order to comply with the approved SPA.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
On February 7, 2018, the Board of Pharmacy proposed a change to rule 64B16-27.630 to add Meningococcal B (MedB) and Zoster Vaccine Recombinant, Adjuvanted. The final rule is effective Thursday, April 12, 2018.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
HB 351, sponsored by Rep. David Santiago (R), was signed by Gov. Rick Scott (R) on March 23. Effective Sunday, July 1, contracts with a PBM shall prohibit the limitation of a pharmacy’s or pharmacist’s ability to substitute a less expensive, generically equivalent drug or to disclose whether a subscriber’s cost-sharing obligation exceeds the retail price for a covered prescription drug and availability of a more affordable alternative drug. Additionally, effective Tuesday, January 1, 2019, PBMs are required to register with the Office of Insurance Regulation and pay a registration fee and a renewal fee every two years from the date of initial certification, both of which shall not exceed $500 and are non-refundable. The Office must issue a registration certificate upon receipt of a completed registration form and adopt rules.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
The legislature adjourned last week. Of note, HB 21, sponsored by Rep. Jim Boyd (R), was signed by Gov. Rick Scott (R) on March 20. Included in the many provisions of the bill, effective, Sunday, July 1, specific to controlled substances, the bill requires the dispenser check the identification of unknown persons prior to dispensing. Additionally, the bill imposes a three-day supply limit with an exception for a seven-day supply if certain criteria are met, and requires that the prescriber or dispenser must consult the prescription drug monitoring system to review a patient’s controlled substance dispensing history before prescribing or dispensing a controlled substance for a patient age 16 years or older. This requirement does not apply when prescribing or dispensing a nonopioid controlled substance listed in Schedule V in Federal Regulations.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.
Gov. Rick Scott (R) has declared the opioid epidemic a state of emergency in Florida (see Executive Order 17-146). In response to the opioid crisis, the Agency for Health Care Administration is implementing provisions under the Florida Medicaid program to assist in the prevention and treatment of substance use disorders. Florida Medicaid currently covers an array of behavioral health therapies and prescribed drugs to treat substance use disorders and does not limit the length of time recipients may receive treatment. You can find updated information on Medication-assisted treatment and additional changes related to prescribed drugs in the recent Provider Alert.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.