In Review: Senate Bill 253, a 340B bill that would no longer require a claims modifier, had a hearing this week in the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services, where PCMA submitted testimony in opposition. The committee voted to Inexpedient to Legislate 3-2 which will lead to the bill being defeated in committee. The Senate Health & Human Services Committee unanimously voted to re-refer SB 256, the white bagging bill. If the Senate adopts this recommendation, it will keep the bill alive for more work, primarily in the fall. We expect the Senate to take up the committee re-refer recommendation at the beginning of March. The Senate Health and Human Services Committee unanimously adopted an amended version of SB 17, which deals with copay coupons being applied to a patient’s deductible. The bill will now head to the House, where PCMA is working in coordination with AHIP to amend the bill even further to not allow a coupon to be used if there is a lower-cost brand-name drug.

If you have any questions, please contact Sam Hallemeier at shallemeier@pcmanet.org.