QUESTION:

Prescription Drugs | Pharmacy Groups Lobby To Prevent Changes to Medicaid Reimbursement Formula

from:
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?hint=3&DR_ID=48445

Medicaid: An intensive lobbying effort by Pharmacy Groups is under way seeking a REVERSAL of a CMS ruling that would change the Medicaid Prescription Drug Reimbursement formula, Roll Call reports (Jackson, Roll Call, 10/24).

The ruling, mandated by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, seeks to ensure that Medicaid can obtain Prescription Drug Discounts similar to those obtained by private entities.

The rule would reduce Medicaid Reimbursements to Pharmacies for Generic Prescription Drugs (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 10/16).

Independent family-run pharmacies and customers in "rural communities they serve stand to get hit particularly hard."

The CMS ruling, which was scheduled to be implemented in July 2007, was delayed until Feb. 1, 2008.

The delay gives pharmacists and their support groups a "precious few extra months to work the issue," according to Roll Call.

Legislation that would change the new CMS policy is pending in both houses of Congress (Roll Call, 10/24).

(My note: According to the last paragraph, Congress is proposing to STOP the requirement that Medicaid be allowed to get the same lowest discounts that PRIVATE entities receive.

The FACT of the matter is that most of us who have access to the Internet and to the U.S. Postal Service, can receive our prescription medication through the mail.

I routinely get 30 percent, or more, off WalMart's prices by buying some of my prescription drugs from Canada.

I'm retired. I live on a fixed, and very limited, income.

Give me the same very, very generous Retirement Package that our Congressmen and Senators give themselves, and I will gladly support their bill to keep Medicaid Prescription Drugs high!)
asked by grandpa24551, 10/30/2007
Categories: Medicaid, Health Insurance
Your answer will be the first.
    Post a New Retirement Topic or Question