NACDS Seeks Passage Of E-Prescribing Bill To Finance Medicaid Reimbursement Rule Change

In California, finding physicians who still take Medicaid is getting to be more difficult...and thus the pharmacy organization wants to have e-prescribing in effect...not only for ease of use, but it does cut down on the associated costs...and the pricing associated with generics also affected in the proposal...BD

National Association of Chain Drug Stores CEO Steven Anderson on Tuesday in a letter asked lawmakers to pass a bill (HR 4296) that would require physicians who participate in Medicare to adopt e-prescribing by 2011 to finance legislation (S 1951, HR 3700) that would revise a new rule related to Medicaid reimbursements to pharmacies, CongressDaily reports.

The rule, which would redefine the average manufacturer price for brand-name and generic medications, would reduce Medicaid reimbursements for treatments. States use AMPs to calculate Medicaid reimbursement rates for medications. Under the rule, the federal government would post AMPs on a Web site that consumers could access. In addition, the rule would limit the federal share of the cost of brand-name medications when at least one generic version is available.