The Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS (South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services)) will reimburse for Food and Drug Administration-approved coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) over the counter (OTC) tests for home use. SCDHHS will reimburse SCDHHS-enrolled pharmacy providers for these tests as authorized within sections 9811 and 9821 of the American Rescue Plan Act, and further delineated within the August 30, 2021, letter from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (SHO# 21-003).  

OTC tests will be covered without prior authorization or cost share with a quantity limit of eight tests per 30-day period. Prescriptions for tests are not required. A one-time override will be allowed per 30-day period (up to a maximum of 10 tests per 30-day period). The per test (unit) rate of reimbursement will not exceed $12 ($24 for a box of two tests). To be eligible for reimbursement, claims must be submitted as a pharmacy claim. For billing purposes, pharmacies will use one of the five SCDHHS-recognized OTC test kits in the table below.  

SCDHHS will reimburse for dates of service on or after Jan. 1, 2022. The Medicaid program cannot pay a member directly for a test they have purchased on their own; therefore, SCDHHS will only reimburse providers for OTC COVID-19 tests. SCDHHS will also update guidance regarding coverage of additional COVID-19 OTC tests as required.  

Questions regarding fee-for-service claims processing should be directed to Magellan Medicaid Administration’s Call Center at (866) 254-1669. The call center is available 24 hours/day. 

For questions regarding pharmacy benefits related to the managed care organizations (MCOs) serving South Carolina Healthy Connections Medicaid members, please contact the MCO (Managed Care Organizations) directly. 

Also in South Carolina, PSyn (a Health Insurance Consulting Firm), Inc has been contracted by DHEC’s Division of Diabetes and Heart Disease Management to gain insight from pharmacists regarding your knowledge and interests in primary care clinics. We would appreciate it if you would take some time to complete this survey to help PSyn, Inc and DHEC develop their research.  

For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.

Governor Henry McMaster issued Executive Order 2022-10 to suspend certain commercial vehicle regulations and provide transportation waivers to address the continued supply chain disruptions. The Governor’s executive order waives or suspends enforcement of certain state and federal regulations pertaining to registration, permitting and size. The read the full Executive Order click here 

For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.

Senate Bill S150 the SC Compassionate Care Act, sponsored by Senator Tom Davis (R), which would legalize medical cannabis for certain conditions, passed the Senate this week. The cannabis must be dispensed at a therapeutic cannabis pharmacy, which would be overseen by DHEC and the Board of Pharmacy and would have a licensed PIC. Therapeutic cannabis pharmacies must be separate and distinct from a traditional pharmacy.  

Also in South Carolina, The SC Pharmacy Association’s (SCPhA) held their February Board of Director’s meeting and SCPhA House of Delegates at the SCPhA offices. They accepted nominations for both leadership positions and awards for SCPhA2022. The following Board of Director positions are open for nominations: President-Elect, Treasurer, Member-at-Large, Low Country Region Director, Midland Region Director, and speaker-elect. The House is looking to fill 3 Low Country delegate positions and 4 Midlands delegate positions. The nominations from the House floor have already occurred. However, if you are interested in nominating yourself or another individual for one of the open leadership positions, you will need to get 15 (for Board of Directors) or 5 (for delegates) signatures from active members no later than February 21, 2022. For more information and to access the signature form, please click here. 

To nominate a person for an Award, please review the nomination criteria by clicking here. You must complete the application and return to SCPhA by March 15, 2022, via email to info@scrx.org. Self-nominations are allowed. Please note that nominations will not be accepted unless supportive statements are provided. Best of luck to anyone hoping to receive one of these prestigious awards.  

Finally in South Carolina, Integrating Pharmacists into Primary Care (IPPC): SCPhA Certificate Training Program will be held on April 3, 2022, 8 AM – 12 PM. This certificate training program is designed to help prepare pharmacists to collaborate with medical practices. The curriculum is a combination of clinical and business concepts essential to providing high-quality sustainable services as part of an interdisciplinary team. More information and registration can be found here. 

SCPhA is also offering Naloxone training for pharmacists. More information and registration can be found here.  

For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.

The Board of Pharmacy ‘s January 19, 2022, Board Meeting will be shown via YouTube. The meeting will begin at 9:00 am. View the agenda here.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.

Effective Jan. 1, 2022, the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS) will increase the reimbursement rates for the services and supplies related to: Incontinence Supplies, Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services (DAODAS) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Services. These changes will be reflected on the SCDHHS website by Jan. 1, 2022. 

Providers with questions regarding this bulletin should contact the SCDHHS Provider Service Center at (888) 289-0709. The Provider Service Center’s hours of operations are 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday 

Also in South Carolina, the Department of Insurance has provided a complaint form for pharmacies or interested parties to file complaints with the South Carolina Department of Insurance relating to pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) services. SC law requires pharmacies to make reasonable efforts to exhaust a PBM’s internal appeal requirements prior to filing a complaint with the SCDOI. A copy of the appeal outcome must accompany the complaint submission. 

For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.

The Department of Health and Environmental Control released a statement earlier today regarding the Omicron variant of COVID-19. DHEC is closely monitoring the variant and proactively preparing for any potential threats posed. See their full statement here, along with various resources and tracking data.

Also in South Carolina, the Centers for Medicare, and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced the enrollment application fee amount for calendar year 2022 will be $631. This fee is required with any applicable Healthy Connections Medicaid provider enrollment application. The South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS) will collect the application fee before executing a provider agreement. The fee applies to initial enrollment, reactivation, revalidation, or addition of a new practice location. SCDHHS has contracted with the SC.gov Enterprise Payment System to facilitate collection of the application fee. Payments may be made by debit, credit, or e-check. Paper checks will not be accepted. More information on payment options can be found by visiting www.scdhhs.gov/provider and selecting “Online Application Fee Payment.” The provider enrollment application fee is only applicable to providers CMS has identified as institutional providers. Providers who are enrolled in or have already paid the application fee to Medicare and/or another state’s Medicaid agency or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for the same enrollment location jurisdiction.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.

The South Carolina Pharmacy Association is hosting their 19th Annual SE Women of Pharmacy Leadership Conference. You are invited to register for this event at the member rate using the discount code “STATE”.  Click here for more information and register. Early Bird registration rates and hotel block are open from now until November 28, 2021. After this date, or after the block is filled, rooms are subject to prevailing rates and availability, and general registration rates will apply. 

Also in South Carolina, the Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS) will operate on an updated schedule for Healthy Connections Medicaid claims submission and payments for one week in November 2021 to accommodate the 2021 Thanksgiving holiday. Thursday, Nov. 25, 2021, and Friday, Nov. 26, 2021, have been designated as South Carolina state holidays. Due to the holidays, claims must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 20 to be included with the payment scheduled for Friday, Nov. 26. Payments will run on Monday, Nov. 22 and electronic remittance advice will be available on Tuesday, Nov. 23. Payments will be dated Friday, Nov. 26. 

For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.

SCPhA is hosting APhA’s Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery Certificate Training Program on January 30, 2022 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at 1350 Browning Rd, Columbia, SC 29210. More information can be found here.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.

Register for the SCPhA Virtual Fall Pharmacy Night happening on October 28th @ 7pm! There will be an overview of the pharmacy landscape after COVID-19. Registration link.

For more information, contact NACDS’ Leigh Knotts at 803-243-7207.