Boozman urges passage of bills that tackle reimbursement issues
Posted on Friday, May 23, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/bcdr/News/62101/
BENTON COUNTY — U. S. Rep. John Boozman, R-Ark., joined with the National Community Pharmacy Association in calling for passage of legislation to help pharmacies with Medicare reimbursement issues, a press release from Boozman states.
Since December 2005, some rural Arkansas pharmacies have closed because of the high cost of prescription drugs versus the Medicare reimbursement rates and the timing of the reimbursements, Boozman said in the Wednesday press release.
He is a co-sponsor of three pieces of legislation that will ease the problems associated with Medicare reimbursements, Boozman said.
“ Pharmacies have experienced troubles with the amount of Medicare reimburses for medications and the timing in which they are reimbursed. These bills are steps to help ease the burdens that pharmacies are experiencing, ” Boozman said in the release.
One piece of legislation, H. R. 1474, is titled the Fair and Speedy Treatment of Medicare Prescription Drug Claims Act of 2007.
It requires the sponsor of a prescription-drug plan or an organization offering a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plan to promptly pay claims submitted under part D, Boozman said.
The legislation also would prohibit inclusion of certain identifying information of pharmacies on explanatory prescription-drug information and cards distributed by prescription-drug-plan sponsors, the congressman said in the press release.
A second piece of legislation, H. R. 3140, is titled the Saving Our Community Pharmacies Act of 2007.
It ensures and fosters continued beneficiary access to generic drugs under the Medicaid Program by setting pharmacy reimbursement based on retail acquisition costs and promoting the use of generic drugs, Boozman said in the release.
A third piece of legislation, H. R. 971, is titled the Community Pharmacy Fairness Act of 2007.
By making the antitrust laws apply to negotiations between groups of independent pharmacies and health plans and health insurance issuers, the act promotes patient safety and quality of care, Boozman said in the release.