As you have likely seen in the headlines, there has been a spotlight on pharmacy issues. An area of focus for your OACHC Policy Team, we have been working on / monitoring the following pieces of legislation which are currently pending before the Ohio Legislature for consideration:
1. Senate Bill 265
SB 265 authorizes commercial health plan issuers to pay or reimburse pharmacists for all health services that a pharmacist is legally authorized to provide and that are covered by the health benefit plan. As introduced, this bill only applies to the commercial market, and OACHC is working very closely with the Ohio Pharmacists Association, and the bill’s sponsor, Senator Matt Dolan, to also see it applied to Medicaid. The bill has received three hearings to date in the Senate Insurance & Financial Institutions Committee. Click here for more information from OACHC.
2. Senate Bill 229
SB 229 modifies laws pertaining to the Ohio Board of Pharmacy (OBP) and the regulation of controlled substances. OACHC worked with Senator John Eklund and the OBP to amend this legislation and exempt Federally Qualified Health Centers, Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alikes from the Pharmacy Board's licensure of office-based opioid treatment (OBOT) facilities. A special thank you to Senator Eklund and the OPB! SB 229 passed out of the Senate on June 27 and is pending action in the House.
3. House Bill 465
HB 465 removes the Ohio Medicaid Pharmacy benefit from the Medicaid Managed Care umbrella and returns it back to the fee-for-service system. Please see overview from OPA on HB 465 here. While there are definite pros and cons to this proposal, one significant concern is effectively the loss of the ability to use 340B in the Medicaid Managed Care arena if indeed the pharmacy benefit was returned to FFS. OACHC has been working with the bill’s sponsor on a 340B amendment that would allow its continued utilization for 340B covered entities, including FQHCs and Look-Alikes. The bill thus far has received one hearing in the House Health Committee. Stay tuned!
4. House Bill 479
The Ohio Pharmacists Association reports, “HB 479, dubbed the ‘Prescription Drug Co-Pay Integrity Act,’ will prohibit the practice of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) requiring pharmacists to charge patients an amount greater than the pharmacy's cash price for a particular prescription drug…The legislation would prohibit "gag clauses" that some PBMs place in pharmacy contracts that penalize pharmacists for disclosing a complete picture of the financials of a patient's prescription drug transaction.” HB 479 was voted out of the House on June 27 and is pending action in the Senate.
If you have thoughts, feedback, questions or concerns on any of the above pieces of legislation and how they will impact your ability to deliver comprehensive care (including pharmacy services), please contact OACHC’s Julie DiRossi-King at jdirossi@ohiochc.org. For updates on all things policy/advocacy related, be sure you are signed up to be a Health Center Advocate for pertinent state and federal updates!
