Debate continues into the night on components of
reconciliation bill for Senate consideration.
The House of Representatives tonight passed and sent to the President
health care reform (HCR) legislation that includes medication therapy
management (MTM) and several other favorable pharmacy provisions. While
the nation appears torn over broader issues related to the
legislation—divisions evident during hours of bitter debate on the
House floor—the pharmacy components of the final bill are viewed
favorably by most pharmacy organizations.
Final vote on the measure was 219–212. A total of 216 votes was
required to pass the measure.
The House continues to debate elements of a reconciliation package
that will go to the Senate for changes in the HCR bill. The upper
chamber will not take up the reconciliation bill until President Obama
has signed into law the legislation passed tonight.
Included in the HCR legislation are numerous pharmacy-related
provisions, including a grants program for MTM sought by APhA and other
members of the pharmacy coalition. An adjustment for pharmaceutical
pricing based on average manufacturer price, or AMP, is also in the
bill.
In the reconciliation
package that will go to the Senate for certain
“fixes” to the bill passed
tonight, the AMP formula is tweaked further. Language closing
the Medicare Part D prescription drug doughnut hole in increments over
the next decade is also in the reconciliation bill. This year, Part D
beneficiaries would receive a $250 rebate after they reach the gap in
coverage.
Another short-term impact of the new law will be to forbid insurance
companies’ denials of coverage of children because of pre-existing
conditions. Those provisions are slated to take effect 6 months after
the bill becomes law.
Watch pharmacist.com for further analysis of the HCR law and the
changes being made through the reconciliation process.
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