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URGENT: Medicaid needs your input!
URGENT INFO FOR PHARMACIES…
MEDICAID SURVEY MUST HAVE YOUR INPUT BY NOV. 21!
Attention all pharmacy owners, managers, & staff,
The Ohio Department of Medicaid just sent all Ohio chain and independent pharmacies a new Cost of Dispensing survey … AND this time, the feds are pushing Ohio and other states to actually modify fees to more realistically match your actual costs to dispense. You should have received the survey by now. Remember, in 2013 the law was changed, and it is now required for all pharmacies to complete this survey by November 21!
We need every pharmacy to participate! Why? Because if they don’t get your figures, then Medicaid will have incomplete information and may not address the dispensing fees. I KNOW that many of you just filled out an NCPA survey, and possibly the CMS request on your cost of product, including giving invoice information. That was important, but THIS SURVEY will directly impact your dispensing fee. No other payor asks for input on what your costs are, and it is critical that they get good, accurate information for which to base decisions upon.
We continue to fight to get fair pharmacy audit standards, diabetic shoe fitting, and immunization authority expansion legislation over their final humps this year. We are also working hard to get maximum allowable cost (MAC) transparency legislation introduced and passed. So we’re doing everything we can on the product side. This survey by Medicaid is our best chance to see a fair reimbursement created on the fee side of the equation.
We appreciate your attention to this survey. In 2013, we stopped a move to penalize pharmacies that do not participate in the survey, but the threat of a penalty is there if there is not a large participation rate, and even worse, without enough data, Medicaid will have no reason to address the current dispensing fee.
Please contact M&S at 1-800-374-6858 or disp_survey@mslc.com if you have any questions on how to fill out the survey.
You can also call me at 614-389-3236 if you have ANY questions.
Please take the time and effort to participate in this important survey. Remember, they are due on November 21. Thanks!
Ernest Boyd
