Is this the end of community pharmacy?                                      4 May 2011

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Is this the end of community pharmacy?

The Texas legislature is proposing drastic changes to Medicaid that could greatly affect your livelihood. One of the largest threats under consideration by the legislature during this session is a proposed "carve-in" of Medicaid pharmacy services to a restricted managed care system. This will place pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) between pharmacies and the state, and will do away with the current fee-for-service reimbursement system.

Strong-arming of pharmacies by PBMs under a managed care system, coupled with restricted networks and proposed reductions in Medicaid reimbursements for pharmacies, could close your pharmacy.

Urge the following members of the Texas House to do the following:

  1. Save the Texas Medicaid vendor drug program and Texas Taxpayers millions of dollars in administrative costs by preventing a carve-in of pharmacy services to a restricted Medicaid managed care network
  2. Save tax dollars by using generic drugs over name brands when possible
  3. Prevent a new premium tax from being imposed on Texans. SB 23 proposes to spend an additional $68.6 million in order to get $56.1 million in premium tax. Collection of additional premium tax is the driving economic force behind the push to managed care.  Semantics will not change the fact that this revenue is a tax, not "cost savings
  4.  Protects local pharmacies from closing due to diminished access in the marketplace
  5. Saves Texas taxpayers between $44 and $200 million in tax dollars

 

The following are members of the two House committees working on bills that could drag pharmacy into managed care. If you live in one of their districts, they NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU ASAP! Click here if you need to double check who your representative is.

HB3678 is still in the House Public Health Committee. Call ALL these committee members and urge them to support Rep. Fred Brown's HB 3678.

  • Committee Chair Lois Kolkhorst, (R-Brenham) (512) 463-0600 
  • Committee Vice Chairman Rep. Elliott Naishtat (D-Austin) (512) 463-0668
  •  Rep. Carol Alvarado (D-Houston) (512) 463-0732
  •  Rep. Garnet Coleman (D-Houston) (512) 463-0524
  •  Rep. Sarah Davis (R-West University Place) (512) 463-0389
  •  Rep. Susan King (R-Abilene) (512) 463-0718
  •  Rep. Jodie Laubenberg (R-Parker) (512) 463-0186
  •  Rep. Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown) (512) 463-0309
  •  Rep. Vicki Truitt (R-Keller) (512) 463-0690
  •  Rep. John Zerwas (R-Richmond) (512) 463-0657

 

SB 23 is now in the House Appropriations Committee. If you live or work in one of their districts, tell them to amend SB 23 by leaving pharmacy out of managed care.

If you do not live in one of their districts, call your representative and ask him/her to contact Committee Chair Rep. Jim. Pitts and members of the committee.

Click here if you need to double check who your representative is.

·         Committee Chair Rep. Jim Pitts (512) 463-0516

·         Committee Vice Chair Rep. Sylvester Turner (512) 463-0554

·         Rep. Jimmy Aycock (512) 463-0684

·         Rep. Angie Chen Button (512) 463-0486

·         Rep. Warren Chisum (512) 463-0736

·         Rep. Myra Crownover (512) 463-0582

·         Rep. Drew Darby (512) 463-0331

·         Rep. Dawnna Dukes (512) 463-0506

·         Rep. Craig  Eiland (512) 463-0502

·         Rep. Helen Giddings (512) 463-0953

·         Rep. Lance Gooden (512) 463-0458

·         Rep. Scott Hochberg (512) 463-0492

·         Rep. Eric Johnson (512) 463-0586

·         Rep. Susan King (512) 463-0718

·         Rep. Dee Margo (512) 463-0728

·         Rep. Armando Martinez (512) 463-0530

·         Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon (512) 463-0708

·         Rep. Doug Miller (512) 463-0325

·         Rep. Geanie Morrison (512) 463-0456

·         Rep. John Otto (512) 463-0570

·         Rep. Diane Patrick (512) 463-0624

·         Rep. Debbie Riddle (512) 463-0572

·         Rep. Charles Schwertner (512) 463-0309

 

We know you may be getting tired of making these phone calls, but please remember your call DOES make a difference.

 

Please send us information about your calls. We need to know which representatives are being responsive to their constituents.

 

Stay tuned!

Richard's signature clear

Richard E. Beck, RPh

 

Executive Director  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Texas Pharmacy Business Council

is an organization of American Pharmacies & the Academy of Independent Pharmacists-Texas.

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