NCPA Statement On Reps. Berry And Moran Letter Seeking Fix To Medicaid Cuts In Pharmacy Reimbursement

Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Also Included In: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Article Date: 25 Aug 2009 - 0:00 PDT

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Reps. Marion Berry (D-AR) and Jerry Moran (R-KS), co-chairs of the bipartisan 50 + member Community Pharmacy Coalition, have sent House Energy and Commerce Committee chair Henry Waxman (D-CA) and ranking member Joe Barton (R-TX) a letter seeking an increase in the proposed fix for Medicaid pharmacy prescription reimbursement in H.R. 3200, the Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009. In response, National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) Executive Vice President and CEO, Bruce T. Roberts, RPh, issued the following statement:

"Thanks to Congress and the Federal Courts, devastating cuts to Medicaid prescription pharmacy reimbursements have not yet gone into effect. But the clock is ticking. If it strikes midnight, according to the Government Accountability Office, pharmacies dispensing generics will be paid by Medicaid, on average, 36 percent below a drug's cost. The resulting fallout will force many pharmacies to either limit or completely drop out of Medicaid, or possibly go out of business.

"That's why NCPA has asked Congress to create a fair reimbursement formula so none of these nightmare scenarios occur, because, at the end of the day, patients will be the ones who are truly hurt. The health care reform bill that recently passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee included a fix to partially address the problem. It is definitely a step in the right direction. However, the letter from Community Pharmacy Coalition co-chairs Berry and Moran explains why that fix isn't sufficient and may still underpay many smaller pharmacies when they dispense generic drugs. We thank them for their leadership on this issue.

"These Congressmen understand the importance of maintaining access to the valuable services community pharmacies provide, especially in underserved rural and urban communities. Health care reform is not only about lowering costs, but also about improving outcomes. In this case the health care bill's solution might save some money upfront in lower pharmacy expenditures. But far more will be spent later to address the preventable complications that come when Medicaid patients aren't getting their prescription drug services."

Source
The National Community Pharmacists Association

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