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Texas Pharmacy Groups are calling foul on a new plan adopted by legislators that some say could but Medicaid Reimbursements by as much as 80% to some pharmacies forcing them to close or stop dealing with Medicaid patients all together.
Local Pharmacists are keeping eyes and ears on developments from Austin, over a hearing that could have possible consequences to Medicaid patients and pharmacies. Kurt Johnson joins us live from the studio to explain.
Starting in March, Texas is scheduled to move Medicaid Reimbursements from the State’s Vendor Drug Program to out of state pharmacy benefits managers which pharmacists say will force them to accept below market value reimbursements, and it is speculated that will cause over a thousand pharmacies to close and will force many others to stop accepting Medicaid. One local pharmacist says the consequences to patient’s healthcare and local pharmacies are unacceptable and won’t save the state any money at all.
At Roger’s Pharmacy, Pharmacist Bruce Rogers stays busy filling prescriptions for Medicaid Patients. But he is worried that soon, Medicaid reimbursements will be drastically cut.
“On March first, the program will be transferred to prescription managers out of state no longer by employees of Texas and in the process will cut reimbursements up to 88%,” said Pharmacist Bruce Rogers.
That is why Rogers is speaking up along with other pharmacists across Texas to tell the State Department of Health and Human Services that moving the plan out of state only increases revenue for the middle man, namely, the prescription benefit managers.
“There are fees so the money going to Texas pharmacies will go to prescription benefit managers in the form of admin fees, so savings will not be as great as if they had stayed on in Texas,” explained Bruce Rogers.
But Rogers says what is even worse is that many pharmacies will be forced to close or cut off Medicaid patients from service.
“The typical pharmacy which does about 25 % of business with Medicaid patients will lose about 41% in profits.”
If those pharmacies close or stop accepting patients, some people will just have to travel for their medicine, as far as 50 to 75 miles. Rogers says that looking at the big picture, the numbers aren’t good for Texas Healthcare, explaining that, “We're looking at the loss of 1,100 pharmacies, 40,000 jobs and five billion in revenue to the State of Texas,” adding that if you are a Medicaid patient, this is the time to speak up and tell your State Legislators that you are concerned.
The next meeting off the Health and Human Services Committee will be on January 18th in Austin at the Health and Human Services Commission from 3 to 5pm.
