An Act Regarding MaineCare Pharmacy Professional Fees
Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §3194 is enacted to read:
§ 3194. Report on cost of dispensing medication
The Office of MaineCare Services within the department shall biennially review and report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over appropriations and financial affairs regarding the cost of dispensing a medication in the State. By July 1st of each even-numbered year, the Office of MaineCare Services shall consider adjusting, through MaineCare rule amendment, the MaineCare pharmacy professional fee to reflect the cost of dispensing a medication in the State.
Sec. 2. MaineCare pharmacy professional fees. The Department of Health and Human Services, Office of MaineCare Services shall:
1. After implementation by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services of the federal regulations setting new average manufacturer-price-based federal upper limits pursuant to the federal Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, review the projected impact of those regulations for fiscal years 2007-08 and 2008-09 on MaineCare pharmacy reimbursement for multiple source drugs. Within 90 days of implementation, the department shall report on the review to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters; and
2. Within 15 days of the department's submitting the report under subsection 1 to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over health and human services matters, adopt emergency rules that use any savings accruing to the MaineCare program from the new average manufacturer-price-based federal upper limits to adjust the professional fee paid to licensed pharmacies for dispensing multiple source drugs to MaineCare members. The purpose of this adjustment is to compensate pharmacies in the State for reimbursement projected to be lost throughout fiscal years 2007-08 and 2008-09 as a result of the new federal upper limits on MaineCare payments to pharmacies for multiple source drugs.