Latebreakers: Pharmacy vows to continue Medicaid fight
Staring down the barrel of $6.3 billion in state and federal Medicaid reimbursement cuts over the next five years, NCPA and NACDS have vowed to take community pharmacy's case to HHS and the states, which must write regulations and implement the changes.
Staring down the barrel of $6.3 billion in state and federal Medicaid reimbursement cuts over the next five years, NCPA and NACDS have vowed to take community pharmacy's case to HHS and the states, which must write regulations and implement the changes. The measure was passed by the House on a 216-214 vote, which was held open by the Republican leadership after the voting period had expired to give them time to round up enough ayes. Vice President Cheney cast the deciding vote in the Senate, which approved the bill last year. Since the measure cuts Medicaid reimbursement only for generic drugs, NCPA warned that it will end up costing the program more because pharmacies will dispense more brand drugs. NACDS said it would begin searching for ways to allow community pharmacies to continue to serve Medicaid patients.
