In Review: Last Tuesday, SF 3532 (Prior Authorization/Gold Carding) was heard in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. This Committee is very provider friendly as four of the nine members are medical providers themselves. PCMA and Cigna submitted written testimony, and Prime Therapeutics, AHIP, the Minnesota Council of Health Plans, and the Health Partnership of Minnesota all testified at the hearing. An amendment was adopted that aligned the automated process, so it complies with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and changed the annual reporting from the Department of Commerce to the Department of Health. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill. Last Wednesday, HF 2466 (HIV PEP/PrEP) was heard in the House Health Finance and Policy Committee. The bill was amended with language that would allow step therapy/prior authorization for these drugs if a therapeutic equivalent is available. PCMA submitted written testimony along with suggested language. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill. Last Thursday, there was an amendment to HF 1814 in the House Health Finance and Policy Committee which added the language from HF 4100 but removed the copay accumulator language. PCMA met with the bill sponsor, Liz Reyer (D), and she indicated that the language was not ready at this time. SF 4861 and HF 4755 (340B Covered Entity Reporting) were both heard last week and laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus bill. The following new bills were introduced last week: SF 4989 (stand-alone copay accumulator), SF 4602 (clone debt collection/copay accumulator), SF 4844 (Pharmacy Dispensing Fee equal to MA), and HF 4916 (Additional $4.50 Pharmacy Dispensing Fee for MA to Help Underserved and Rural Pharmacies).

Up Next: Friday marks the agreed-upon first and second committee deadlines (when committee action on bills must occur), which is different than previous years as both deadlines are on the same day. On Monday, HF 4100 (Copay Accumulator) is scheduled to be heard in the House Commerce Committee and has an amendment that removes the copay accumulator language. On  Tuesday, a hearing on SF 4602 (Copay Accumulator) which is the clone bill to SF 4065, will be heard in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.

If you have any questions, please contact Michelle Mack at mmack@pcmanet.org.