Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada Debate State Drug Benefits in Kaiser Health Policy Report Prescription Drug Round Up

Continuing the Daily Health Policy Report's coverage of states' actions on prescription drug benefits, the following summarizes recent news in three states.

• Maine: The state House Health and Human Services committee voted on May 7 in favor of a bill that would provide 25% discounts on prescription drugs to about 225,000 people with "moderate incomes." Under the plan, individuals with annual incomes up to $25,000 and couples earning up to $33,500 annually would be eligible for the benefits. Called the Healthy Maine Prescription Program, the discount is a HCFA-approved Medicaid waiver program modeled after a Vermont program that offers individuals the ability to buy drugs at the same price given to Medicaid to those who meet the income requirements. Although the waiver was approved in January, legislative approval is needed before the program can be implemented. Pharmacists would sell the drugs at the discounted price and bill the state for the difference. The program will begin June 1, if it passes the Legislature with a two-thirds majority. Healthy Maine would offer greater benefits to those eligible than could have been expected from the Maine Rx program, a discount program that was enacted last year but enjoined under a challenge from drugmakers in federal court (AP/Foster's Daily Democrat, 5/8).
• Massachusetts: State lawmakers working on the fiscal 2002 budget did not make any changes to copayments or deductibles for a new senior pharmacy program when debate on the measure ended in the House on May 7, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette reports. Advocates for seniors were concerned copayments for the Prescription Advantage program, which began April 1, might have been doubled and eligibility rules might have been "tightened." Copayments for generic drugs were kept at $5 and brand name copayments remain at $12. However, the House budget appropriates $85.9 million for the program, which will keep it "intact" but is less that than the $109 million proposed by Gov. Jane Swift (R) (Sutner, Worcester Telegram & Gazette, 5/9).
• Nevada: The state Assembly Health and Human Services Committee on May 7 heard testimony on two bills that would use $5 million in tobacco settlement funds to provide $5,000 in annual drug coverage to Nevada seniors, with copayments of $10 for generic drugs and $25 for brand name drugs. The two bills differ regarding oversight of the program, called Senior Rx. State Democrats are supporting a bill (AB 545) that would shift funding into a state-run program and cap income eligibility at $21,500. Gov. Kenny Guinn (R), however, supports a bill (SB 539) that moves administration of Senior Rx to private insurers and sets income eligibility at $14,800. Those earning more than $14,800 annually would pay premiums based on a sliding scale (Wilkerson, AP/Nevada Appeal, 5/8).