Last week, the Pennsylvania State Senate amended House Bill 118 to include provisions that would cut the PACE professional dispensing fee from $13 to $10.49. This bill then passed the full Senate by a vote of 37-13 and will now move back to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for consideration.
Ultimately, this legislative compromise is the result of debate over the budget and revenue shortfall versus extensive discussions, lobbying, and your efforts in contacting legislators. Our efforts in attempting to raise the $7 dispensing fee in the Medicaid program to $10.49 – justified using cost of dispensing studies conducted by surrounding states per CMS regulations – are the basis for the current provisions in House Bill 118.
It is our understanding that caucus leadership in both the House and Senate have agreed to this $10.49 dispensing fee, which will likely remain in place as negotiations over the code bills continue. If there is an opening to maintain the $13 professional dispensing fee in the PACE program, please know that we will act on it! But, $10.49 may be as good as it gets.
Thank you for all of your work on this issue and for your continued support!
