Medicaid
|
Prescription Drug Coverage |
AMCP supports the inclusion of prescription drug coverage in all health care benefit programs, including those administered by the government (e.g. Medicare, Medicaid, health insurance exchanges). Access to a comprehensive prescription drug benefit coupled with proper use of those medications, has been shown to reduce the severity of, and complications arising from many common illnesses. Failure to provide prescription drug coverage means fewer Americans will have effective drug programs available, thereby diminishing their access to medication therapy and increasing the chance that they will require more intensive, costly health care services such as surgery and/or hospitalization. AMCP also supports granting flexibility to managed care organizations to develop clinically sound, evidence-based benefits free from arduous mandates.
|
|
Government-Mandated Pharmacy Benefits 02/13/2019 Reapproved |
AMCP supports the right of managed care organizations and their clients to independently make decisions with regard to health benefits that meet the medical needs of specific patient populations while being compassionate, medically sound, timely, and fiscally responsible. Federal and state legislation and regulations should not hinder a health care delivery system's ability to provide customized benefits that assure value and quality patient care for specific patient populations, yet remain affordable. |
|
Patient Satisfaction 04/07/2015 Reapproved |
AMCP supports the development of mechanisms that measure the level of satisfaction patients have with pharmacy services. Acquired data may be used for quality improvement efforts, to increase public recognition of pharmacy services, monitor trends, benchmark improvement efforts, and establish the value of the array of pharmacy services to all stakeholders. |
|
Best Price Requirements of the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program |
AMCP believes that the best price provisions of the Medicaid prescription drug rebate program, established by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-508), represents interference by the government into the competitive marketplace that has raised costs unnecessarily by preventing the commercial market from allowing true market dynamics to emerge. This pernicious market effect has been well documented by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and academic economists. AMCP strongly encourages a careful re-examination of the best price program.
|
|
Government Regulation of Prescription Drug Prices |
AMCP believes that government regulation of prescription drug pricing, regardless of its structure, would have an overall negative impact on consumer cost, quality, and access to health care benefits. Government-regulated prices could greatly impair the ability of managed care organizations (MCOs) to design a competitive benefit offering that integrates clinically sound, evidence-based medication choices with delivery systems and co-payment alternatives that provide beneficiaries with substantive choice. Legislation that would allow the government to regulate prescription drug prices, though well intentioned, could actually result in increased costs for many consumers in the short term and for all in the long term. |