During the first week of July, an action alert was sent out by the National Legislative Association on Prescription Drug Prices (NLARx) about the need for states to take immediate action on this. The full memo can be read via the link on the Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare Reform page of the NLARx website . Among the key factor making this an urgent issue are the retroactivity requirement of state rebates to the federal government to Jan.1; and that while CMS is barred from sharing AMP and federal Best Price Data with the states, very few states require manufacturers to report drug prices directly to them.
The Progressive States Network also published a useful short article on the topic :
Preventing Loss of Medicaid Drug Rebate Funds for States
While the new Affordable Health Care law provides a variety of funding opportunities for states, a provision governing how rebates on drug prices negotiated for prescription drugs are shared could shift billions of dollars from cash-strapped states to the federal government. However, if states move quickly, they can act aggressively to secure both federal best price rebates and state supplemental rebates that can realize Medicaid rebates as high as 40-50% – increasing the rebate portion states hold onto and off-setting losses………….
The NLARx annual conference is coming up August 15-18 in Portland , Maine and this topic will be discussed in detail.
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