Legislature(2013 - 2014)CAPITOL 106
03/14/2014 08:00 AM House HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES
| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB214 | |
| HB134 | |
| HB250 | |
| HCR18 | |
| HCR19 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 134 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | HB 250 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HCR 18 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HCR 19 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 214 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 134-MEDICAID PAYMENT FOR MEDISET PRESCRIPTION
8:12:16 AM
CHAIR HIGGINS announced that the next order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 134, "An Act requiring Medicaid payment for
scheduled unit dose prescription drug packaging and dispensing
services for specified recipients." [In front of the committee
was the proposed committee substitute (CS) for HB 134, labeled
28-LS0303\R, Mischel, 4/1/13, which had been adopted as the
working draft on April 1, 2013]
8:12:22 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER moved to adopt the proposed committee
substitute (CS) for HB 134, labeled 28-LS0303\T, Mischel,
2/27/14, as the working draft. There being no objection, it was
so ordered.
REPRESENTATIVE MIA COSTELLO, Alaska State Legislature, asked
that her staff present the proposed changes to the bill.
CHARLES GUINCHARD, Staff, Representative Mia Costello, Alaska
State Legislature, explained that the proposed CS had three
significant changes. In working with Department of Health and
Social Services, parts of the proposed bill had been re-arranged
to lower costs without changing any of the intent. The second
change was the deletion of any reference to DHSS paying for the
shipping costs of medication. He explained that the third major
change was for DHSS to adopt new regulations for pharmacy
reimbursement, which would be "right in line with what this bill
is asking." He pointed out that the fiscal note for the
proposed bill was zero. [Included in members' packets]
MR. GUINCHARD directed attention to the Sectional summary
provided by the Division of Legal and Research Services, dated
March 5, 2014. [Included in members' packets] Section 1
required Department of Health and Social Services to establish
an additional fee under the Medicaid program, to be paid to a
qualified pharmacy for dispensing services for prescriptions
that require medication compliance packaging into scheduled unit
doses for specified Medicaid recipients, and it described
specialized dispensary and delivery services which were covered.
Section 2 provided a contingent effective date, as any change to
a Medicaid program needed to be approved by the federal
government. Section 3 would establish the effective date.
8:17:14 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SEATON asked to confirm that it was no longer
necessary for 75 percent of the pharmacy's business to be
mediset.
MR. GUINCHARD replied that, although the 75 percent was in
regulation as a DHSS definition for pharmacies eligible to
receive reimbursement, it was not in statute. He directed
attention to the proposed bill, page 1, line 13, which defined
who was qualified to receive the dispensing fee. He pointed to
page 2, lines 3 - 12, which listed five criteria for
establishing a mediset. He stated that the bill determined that
a pharmacy capable of providing these five criteria was eligible
to receive the reimbursement.
8:19:19 AM
REPRESENTATIVE TARR directed attention to the fiscal note and
asked for clarification that the change from $750,000 to zero
had resulted from removal of the travel component. She asked if
the recipient was now responsible for this cost.
MR. GUINCHARD pointed to two significant changes in the proposed
bill which addressed the fiscal note. The first change was the
deletion of the transportation mandate to which she had
referred, although this was not responsible for the entire
reduction of the fiscal note. He stated that rearrangement of
the proposed bill was also responsible for a significant
reduction to the fiscal note. He noted that the criteria on
page 2, lines 3 - 12, in previous versions of the bill, had
created concern with DHSS that the proposed bill would require
establishment of separate fees for each of the criteria.
Reorganization of the proposed bill into Version T had now
clarified that only one fee would be established.
8:21:43 AM
MARGARET BRODIE, Director, Director's Office, Division of Health
Care Services, Department of Health and Social Services,
explained that removal of the transportation mandate had
eliminated the need for a survey to determine a new dispensing
fee, which had included delivery of the pharmaceuticals; hence,
the zero fiscal note. She said that the dispensing fee and the
mediset fee included delivery of the pharmaceuticals.
REPRESENTATIVE TARR asked to clarify that transportation was
still included.
MS. BRODIE stated that this was correct.
8:22:47 AM
CHAIR HIGGINS closed public testimony.
8:22:55 AM
REPRESENTATIVE KELLER moved to report CSHB 134, Version 28-
LS0303\T, Mischel, 2/27/14, out of committee with individual
recommendations and the accompanying zero fiscal note. There
being no objection, CSHB 134(HSS) was moved from the House
Health and Social Services Standing Committee.
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