Ways and Means Committee Advances
Speaker Pelosi’s Drug Pricing Package
This week, the House Ways and Means Committee completed its mark-up of an updated version of H.R. 3, the Lower Drug Costs Now Act; Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) drug pricing bill (Click here to view NCPA’s summary of key provisions of the bill). The committee directed that expected savings from the government drug price negotiations required by the legislation be spent on new dental, vision and hearing benefits for seniors. All Republican amendments to the bill were defeated, as was an attempt by Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), the chairman of the Health Subcommittee, to make the bill even more progressive. The only change the committee made to the bill was to rename it after the late Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.). After almost 12 hours, all Democratic members voted in favor of the bill, except Rep. Doggett who voted "present" after his amendments to expand the bill failed to pass. Republicans unanimously opposed the bill. The varying versions of the bill from the three committees of jurisdiction, Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Education and Labor, will need to be reconciled and will need a final score from the Congressional Budget Office. This will push floor consideration of the package back until mid-November.
Ways and Means Committee Advances Bills to Expand HSAs
The House Ways and Means Committee held an additional mark-up this week and favorably reported four health-related tax bills, three of which would expand health savings accounts (HSAs) in various ways. Among these was NCPA supported legislation, H.R. 1922, the Restoring Access to Medication Act, sponsored by Reps. Ron Kind (D-Wisc.), Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), Darin LaHood (R-Ill.) and Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.). H.R. 1922 would repeal a provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that generally prohibits taxpayers from using HSAs and other tax-favored accounts to purchase non-prescription, over-the-counter medicines, while also treating menstrual care products as qualified medical expenses. NCPA has supported this bill through its work with the Health Choices Coalition (click here to see the letter of support). All three HSA bills received bipartisan support, and it is expected that the HSA related bills will be packaged together before floor consideration later this year. The final bill would also impose a new Federal excise tax on nicotine used in vapor products.
NCPA Meets with CMS Part D Team
This week NCPA staff and members met with CMS Part D staff to discuss issues of importance to community and LTC pharmacies. NCPA continues to advocate for a commensurate level of reimbursement for medical at home pharmacy services provided to Medicare Part D enrollees who would otherwise require a higher level of care, including skilled nursing. Also discussed were concerns with PBM enrollment/credentialing requirements and pharmacy network contracting, among other issues. NCPA will continue to advocate for policies that support pharmacy and patient access within the Part D program.
Support NCPA PAC and Pharmacy Champion
Rep. Buddy Carter at NCPA Annual Convention
If you are attending NCPA’s Annual Convention, there are multiple opportunities to support the activities of the NCPA PAC. The NCPA PAC will be hosting a reception for Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), the only pharmacist serving in Congress, on Sunday Oct. 27 from 8:15-9:00 AM at the San Diego Convention Center. Please join us and show your support for Rep. Carter and all he has done to represent the interests of community pharmacists in Congress.
The NCPA PAC will also be hosting a reception on Tuesday, Oct. 29 from 6:00-7:00 PM. The NCPA PAC is our engine to support candidates who have a history of supporting community pharmacy and our priority issues. We need more pharmacy champions in Congress and we invite all NCPA members to support our PAC- If you are not attending the Convention you can still contribute here. NOTE: You must be an NCPA member to support the NCPA PAC. More information on these events is available at the PAC booth and we invite you stop by and say hello.
NCPA Meets with Pharmacy Research Expert Dr. Dima Qato
This week, members of NCPA’s Advocacy Center staff met with the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and Dr. Dima Qato, a faculty member of the University of Illinois- Chicago’s College of Pharmacy. Qato is a noted researcher whose work was referenced in the Senate Finance Committee letter to HHS Sec. Alex Azar and CMS Administrator Seema Verma that was led by Chairman Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). Additionally she has published research on pharmacy closures disproportionately affecting independent pharmacies and access for patientsin low-income rural and urban areas. The meeting focused on Dr. Qato’s research and exploring ways NCPA can partner with her on future research projects, and those conversations will continue.
NCPA Presents at West Virginia Pharmacists Association
Annual Meeting
Last weekend, Kala Shankle, NCPA’s Director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs, presented to the West Virginia Pharmacists Association on present and future trends in community pharmacy. The presentation focused on how DIR, GER, BER, and other reimbursement/contracting terms are impacting the industry. The presentation also shed light on NCPA’s advocacy efforts regarding policy changes to address areas of stress for community pharmacies, including the use of DIR and effective rates in federally funded programs.
NCPA Participates in White House National Prescription Drug
Take Back Day Briefing Call
NCPA participated on the White House’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Briefing call led by the White House Intergovernmental Affairs staff, White House Office of Public Liaison, and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Administrator to learn about the initiatives the White House DEA is taking to help combat the opioid crisis. One of these initiatives is continuing and encouraging patients and providers to utilize the DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, which occurs twice a year, and is next happening October 26th, 2019. It serves as an opportunity for citizens to dispose of unused and unneeded prescription drugs to help drug prevention efforts. NCPA also operates a prescription disposal program, Dispose My Meds™, a program where community pharmacists can help their patients safely dispose of unused and expired medications. NCPA will continue to work with the Administration to help expand workable disposal options to better address opioid diversion.
NC House Passes PBM Licensure Bill
The North Carolina House of Representatives passed SB 432, a PBM licensure bill. The bill would prohibit PBMs from steering patients to affiliate pharmacies, limit a PBM’s ability to retroactively deny or reduce a claim after adjudications, strengthen existing MAC transparency laws, and increase patient choice by establishing “any willing pharmacy” requirements.
NCPA state legislative activity update
NCPA tracks state legislation related to our top three state priorities: Medicaid reform, scope of practice and compensation for services, and PBM reform and regulation. Linked below are reports of bills that have been introduced so far this session specifically dealing with these three issue areas. You can access the individual bill language and basic information on the bill by clicking on the bill numbers in the attached report. Bills that have moved this week are listed at the top in the “Recently Updated” section.
NCPA’s Advocacy Center Update provides a weekly detailed summary of recent and breaking legislative, regulatory, and state developments impacting independent community pharmacy and NCPA’s efforts to affect policies benefitting its membership and the industry. The weekly update is distributed to NCPA leadership, steering committees, allied organizations/stakeholders and major contributors to the NCPA LDF and PAC.