12/17/2009 0 Comments Contact Our News Editors

Sixteen leading Members of Congress are urging House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to consider a higher federal upper limit by which Medicaid could reimburse community pharmacies for dispensing generic prescription drugs.

The lawmakers write that, while House and Senate health care reform bills include provisions scaling back the severe cuts written in to statute (but delayed by court injunction), “we are still concerned that the reimbursement levels proposed will not be sufficient to assure that Medicaid patients will be able to obtain prescription medications through their community pharmacies. This could reduce Medicaid patients’ access to many pharmacies and negatively impact generic dispensing.”

“We respectfully urge you to consider a higher Federal Upper Limit (FUL) reimbursement rate for generics for pharmacies,” during the expected House-Senate negotiations, the letter continues. “Community pharmacies play a critical role as primary health care providers in all communities across the United States and often serve as the only resource to millions of lower income Americans for their daily needs. Failure to adequately fix the Medicaid pharmacy reimbursement would directly impact these patients and the pharmacies that continue to serve them.”

The letter was signed by U.S. Reps. Michael Arcuri (D-N.Y.), Joe Barton (R-Tex.), Marion Berry (D-Ark.), Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.), Leonard Boswell (D-Iowa), Rick Boucher (D-Va.), Christopher Carney (D-Pa.), Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), Lloyd Doggett (D-Tex.), Walter Jones (R-N.C.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-S.D.), Timothy Walz (D-Minn.), Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.).

”As the face of neighborhood healthcare, pharmacy is the most convenient and accessible healthcare provider,” said NACDS President and CEO Steven C. Anderson. “We are pleased that these Members of Congress are working on behalf of pharmacy to ensure that Medicaid patients have access to their prescription drugs and other pharmacy services. These patients should not be penalized due to an unfair reimbursement model.”

“NCPA sincerely appreciates this bipartisan show of support for community pharmacy,” said NCPA Executive Vice President and CEO Bruce T. Roberts, RPh. “Clearly, lawmakers across the political spectrum recognize the important role community pharmacists play in helping Medicaid recipients – and want to continue to play. But for that to happen, Congress must replace these deep cuts with an equitable reimbursement system.”