The
Washington State Pharmacy Association (WSPA), the
National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), and the
National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), all came out in support of the action by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), on Sept. 11, 2018, to reject Washington State's below-cost and lowest-in-the-nation Medicaid pharmacy dispensing fees.
Central to this issue is a new rule put into place by CMS in 2016, which changed states' calculation of reimbursement to pharmacies for Medicaid prescriptions. A key part of the rule indicates that states must at least reimburse pharmacies for their actual costs in dispensing drugs to Medicaid beneficiaries. The associations have advocated in all branches and levels of government that Washington State's below-cost reimbursement violates the new rule, jeopardizes reliable patient access to medications responsible for ensuring patient health, and leads to more costly forms of care that result from untreated conditions.
Visit the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) or the Washington State Pharmacy Association (WSPA) to learn more.