The Department of Medicaid issued an emergency rule to provide payment for the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine at the Medicare rate. The rule was effective December 23 and expires April 23, 2021.

Also in Ohio. The Office of Vaccine Preparedness released its weekly report which also includes links to provider enrollment and other information related to the vaccine plan in Ohio. For more information, please visit the above link.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.

The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) has published a weekly update on the COVID vaccine. The document includes links to updated guidance published by ODH, the CDC, and FDA. It also includes FAQs on billing procedures for the COVID vaccine. Please visit the above weblinks for additional information.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.

The Board of Pharmacy has asked NACDS to remind pharmacies about their guidance on dealing with expired licenses and NPLEX. Additionally, they are interested in knowing if pharmacies are experiencing any issues with the modification process necessary to input expired licenses. If you have any feedback that you would like NACDS to share with the Board, please forward it to Jill McCormack at jmccormack@nacds.org.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.

The Board of Pharmacy has released updated guidance including FAQs on the administration of COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic. Similar guidance addressing pharmacy technicians is also available here.

Also in Ohio. Medicaid has released the results of its 2020 Fee-For-Service Pharmacy Cost of Dispensing Study conducted by Myers & Stauffer.  The survey found that the mean cost of dispensing, weighted by Medicaid prescription volume, was $9.46 per prescription for all pharmacies including specialty pharmacies. For non-specialty pharmacies only, the mean cost of dispensing, weighted by Medicaid prescription volume, was $9.07 per prescription. Based on the results from this survey, ODM stated there will be no change to the current FFS tiered structure.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.

The Department of Medicaid has published a revised version of rules intended to allow pharmacists to bill Medicaid for collaborative drug therapy management, immunizations, and medication administration. This version makes it clearer that pharmacists can use a standing order or protocol as documentation for immunization services. NACDS plans to comment and asks members to send comments to jmccormack@nacds.org by November 10, 2020.

Also in Ohio. On November 19, 2020, the Ohio Department of Medicaid will be offering a Basic Billing fee-for-service training session for pharmacists who will be providing services to Ohio Medicaid patients. Attendees will receive basic information regarding Ohio Medicaid rules, Ohio Medicaid eligibility, MITS portal billing, and other resources. Registration is required. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.

The Ohio Department of Health and the Governor’s Pandemic Response and Recovery Leadership Team created a webinar on how to participate in the Ohio COVID-19 Vaccine Program. This webinar is now available on-demand and provides an overview of Ohio’s proposed vaccination strategy, as well as detailed instructions if you choose to become a provider of the COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available. Please submit any questions you have to covidvaccine@ODH.ohio.gov.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.

The Department of Medicaid (ODM) is moving forward with the implementation of the tiered supplemental dispensing fee required by House Bill 166 of the 133rd General Assembly. After soliciting feedback from pharmacy association stakeholders, including NACDS, ODM has developed a methodology for allocating the funds as described in this FAQ document. They also created a dashboard that allows pharmacies to preview if they are eligible and the amount of funds they will receive by plugging in NPI numbers. Members can direct questions to medicaid_pharmacy@medicaid.ohio.gov.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.

On Sept. 30 the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) released a Request for Applications (RFA) inviting managed care organizations to submit proposals for Ohio’s managed care program. The RFA is a major part of ODM’s plans to streamline and modernize the Medicaid Managed Care program. For more information click here.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.

The Board of Pharmacy has issued guidance on both pharmacists’ administration of the COVID-19 vaccine and childhood vaccines during the pandemic.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Jill McCormack at 717-592-8977.