2024 Legislative Update Days 6-10
By Melissa Reybold, VP of Public Policy
Last week under the Gold Dome things were moving at a quicker pace. On Wednesday, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee convened to hear Representative Mark Newton’s bill, HB 343, that aimed to lower prescription drug costs at the point of sale by requiring that PBMs pass along their rebates to the patients. This is the fourth year that Representative Newton has tried to pass this legislation. Congressman Buddy Carter flew in to testify in support of the bill.
Senators on the committee were conflicted due to the warning from the PBM lobbyists that premiums would go up for small businesses. They even managed to get the Georgia Chapter of the NFIB (National Federation of Independent Business) to oppose the bill. With an 8 to 5 vote, the bill did not pass out of the committee. This was a bill that was good for the patients of Georgia, and GPhA supported this legislation. We will continue to support this legislation if it happens to reappear during this session.
HB 924
The issue of white bagging/brown bagging will be heard in the House Insurance Subcommittee on Life and Health and the House Insurance committees this week. Representative Ballinger is sponsoring HB 924 with several co-sponsors. This bill looks to prohibit insurers from discriminating against certain healthcare facilities and providers in connection with the administration of provider administered drugs. The simple definitions are below…
“White bagging” — the drug is purchased through a specialty pharmacy, usually owned by a PBM, and shipped directly to the provider’s office for administration. The pharmacist gets no extra fee for finishing the preparation or administering the drug.
“Brown bagging” — the drug is purchased through a specialty pharmacy, usually owned by a PBM, and shipped directly to the patient, who takes it to the provider’s office for administration. The pharmacist gets no extra fee for finishing the preparation or administering the drug. The other issue with brown bagging is the question of how the drug was stored once the patient received it in the mail? Was it in the mailbox for a few days? Did the patient toss it on their dashboard so they wouldn’t forget to take it to their appointment?
GPhA has testified in support of this legislation for the past several years and we will continue to support this bill this year.
HB 1035
HB 1035 will give the Board of Pharmacy authority to regulate the sale and supply of opioid antagonists through vending machines and repeal the requirement that an opioid antagonist must have a prescription in order for an individual who administers it to have civil, criminal, and professional immunity. This bill would also provide immunity for harm-reduction organizations that supply opioid antagonists to certain individuals. Since GPhA worked on language with the bill sponsors, stakeholders, and state agencies, we will support this legislation.
And the rest…
There is some promising movement on HIV PEP. Before session started, the House Public Health Committee heard from state agencies and stakeholders on the high rate of HIV in GA and possible legislative solutions. Since this is a public health and access to care issue, GPhA will support this legislation.
Our bill sponsor for the Prescription Adaptation Bill HB 546, Chairman Rick Jasperse, visited Bell’s Family Pharmacy in Tate, GA recently. Chairman Jasperse lives in the area and was nice enough to text me a picture he snapped with owner, Katie Bell. We are meeting with committee members this week to get the bill moving.
COVID has been making its way through the Capitol, so many meetings with legislators were rescheduled until next week.
