The Department of Human Services announced that its State Plan Amendment was approved for the reimbursement methodology per the CMS Covered Outpatient Drugs Rule that became effective in Minnesota on July 1, 2019. 

Also in Minnesota… the Minnesota Pharmacists Association is looking for co-chairs of its Professional and Organizational Affairs Committee. As described by MPhA, “This committee is working on a variety of professional and organizational issues to ensure that we are implementing legislation and providing guidance to the organization to continue to improve and follow the MPhA bylaws.” For more information, please contact sarahd@mpha.org. 

For more information, contact NACDS’ Joel Kurzman at 847-905-0555.

Continuing previous updates about the state’s compliance with CMS’ Covered Outpatient Final Drugs Rule effective July 1, the Department of Human Services will reprocess claims for dates of service from July 1-18 on Thursday, August 29 and they will appear on pharmacies’ remittance advices on Tuesday, September 17. Additional information can be found on the Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP) provider news and updates webpage.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Joel Kurzman at 847-905-0555.

With legislation enacted for the state to comply with CMS’ Covered Outpatient Drugs Final Rule for Medicaid fee-for-service pharmacy reimbursement, next steps include filing a State Plan Amendment (SPA). To this end, the Department of Human Services (DHS) is requesting documentation of pharmacy payment of the state’s 2% wholesaler tax by Wednesday, July 31. The Minnesota Pharmacists Association has created a template to facilitate submission of acceptable documentation. The information may be emailed directly to Chad Hope, PharmD, Deputy Director, Division of Purchasing and Service Delivery at DHS.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Joel Kurzman at 847-905-0555.

Gov. Tim Walz (D) signed into law the Health and Human Services (HHS) omnibus bill containing a wide range of provisions notable to pharmacy, including language to comply with the CMS Covered Outpatient Drugs final rule. Effective Monday, July 1, or upon federal approval, whichever is later, Medicaid fee-for-service pharmacy reimbursement will be NADAC plus a professional dispensing fee of $10.48. Cost of dispensing surveys will be required every three years, with the initial survey to be completed by Friday, January 1, 2021. The sunset provision to the 2% wholesaler tax was removed, and the tax was reduced to 1.8%. Gov. Walz also signed legislation establishing funding from manufacturers and wholesale license holders, excluding chain pharmacy warehouses, for addressing opioid additions and creating an advisory group. Other key legislative outcomes included PBM regulation, language to facilitate medication synchronization and expanded pharmacist authority to administer intramuscular and subcutaneous injections to treat mental health and alcohol or opioid dependency.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Joel Kurzman at 847-905-0555.