Icky
10-22-2007, 03:52 PM
U.S. SENATE CONTACTS NEEDED
APCI has spent a lot of time on issues in the U.S. House and therefore APCI is providing an update on action needed in the U.S. Senate. There are three bills currently being monitoring that need YOUR attention. CONTACTS are needed regarding these three bills. The bills are the following:
S. 1951 The Fair Medicaid Drug Payment Act of 2007 (AMP fix)
Improvements to AMP: Medicaid should use the weighted average price (rather than lowest) available to retail pharmacy, exclude special prices extended to mail-order pharmacies (which do not serve the general public)
Generic definition should restore to 3 or more therapeutic equivalents, not just two.
Requires prior authorization for coverage of a more-expensive brand name drug when a cheaper generic alternative exists.
S. 1954 Pharmacy Access Improvement Act of 2007 (Prompt-pay)
Requires Medicare Part D Plans to offer electronic direct deposit of reimbursements to participating pharmacies.
Claims submitted electronically will be paid within 14 days, and all other claims will be paid within 30 days.
Co-branding is prohibited on cards and marketing materials issued by a PDP.
S. 2161 Community Pharmacy Fairness Act of 2007 (negotiations bill)
Allows independent pharmacies, defined as pharmacies not owned or operated by a publicly traded company, the same leverage that much larger chains enjoy when negotiating their Medicare Part D and other third-party contracts.
This bill does not require government funding.
ACTION IS NEEDED NOW TO CONTACT YOUR TWO U.S. SENATORS TO CO-SPONSOR and SUPPORT THE ABOVE MENTIONED BILLS
Current Co-sponsors from States are:
S. 1951 Lincoln (AR), Pryor (AR), Durbin (IL), Grassley (IA), Brown (OH), Roberts (KS), Cochran (MS), Bond (MO).
S. 1954 Lincoln (AR), Pryor (AR), Isakson (GA), Durbin (IL), Roberts (KS), Landrieu (LA), Cochran (MS), Lott (MS), Brown (OH), Coleman (MN), Hagel (NE), Corker (TN)
S. 2161 Isakson [Sponsor] (GA), Graham (SC)
If your U.S. Senator(s) are not currently a co-sponsor of CONTACT them TODAY and ask that they sign onto these bills. If your U.S. Senator(s) are already on the bills CONTACT them to say THANK YOU.
PHARMACY NEEDS YOUR ACTION NOW!!!
APCI has spent a lot of time on issues in the U.S. House and therefore APCI is providing an update on action needed in the U.S. Senate. There are three bills currently being monitoring that need YOUR attention. CONTACTS are needed regarding these three bills. The bills are the following:
S. 1951 The Fair Medicaid Drug Payment Act of 2007 (AMP fix)
Improvements to AMP: Medicaid should use the weighted average price (rather than lowest) available to retail pharmacy, exclude special prices extended to mail-order pharmacies (which do not serve the general public)
Generic definition should restore to 3 or more therapeutic equivalents, not just two.
Requires prior authorization for coverage of a more-expensive brand name drug when a cheaper generic alternative exists.
S. 1954 Pharmacy Access Improvement Act of 2007 (Prompt-pay)
Requires Medicare Part D Plans to offer electronic direct deposit of reimbursements to participating pharmacies.
Claims submitted electronically will be paid within 14 days, and all other claims will be paid within 30 days.
Co-branding is prohibited on cards and marketing materials issued by a PDP.
S. 2161 Community Pharmacy Fairness Act of 2007 (negotiations bill)
Allows independent pharmacies, defined as pharmacies not owned or operated by a publicly traded company, the same leverage that much larger chains enjoy when negotiating their Medicare Part D and other third-party contracts.
This bill does not require government funding.
ACTION IS NEEDED NOW TO CONTACT YOUR TWO U.S. SENATORS TO CO-SPONSOR and SUPPORT THE ABOVE MENTIONED BILLS
Current Co-sponsors from States are:
S. 1951 Lincoln (AR), Pryor (AR), Durbin (IL), Grassley (IA), Brown (OH), Roberts (KS), Cochran (MS), Bond (MO).
S. 1954 Lincoln (AR), Pryor (AR), Isakson (GA), Durbin (IL), Roberts (KS), Landrieu (LA), Cochran (MS), Lott (MS), Brown (OH), Coleman (MN), Hagel (NE), Corker (TN)
S. 2161 Isakson [Sponsor] (GA), Graham (SC)
If your U.S. Senator(s) are not currently a co-sponsor of CONTACT them TODAY and ask that they sign onto these bills. If your U.S. Senator(s) are already on the bills CONTACT them to say THANK YOU.
PHARMACY NEEDS YOUR ACTION NOW!!!