Legislative Updates
Legislative Update for the week of March 18 – 22
By Melissa Reybold, VP of Public Policy
Well, it was a quiet week for GPhA at the Capitol… wait, is it too early for an April Fool’s joke?
It was anything BUT quiet for us this past week. The days were filled with highs and lows. We had two committee hearings pop up with little notice. Amendments were created, stripped, added, removed, and added again. There were some let-downs on the Senate side while it was all rainbows and unicorns on the House side where we have been 100% supported this year. Low and unfair reimbursements for independents is one of the main issues on many of the legislators’ minds this session and the pressure we created was at an all-time high this past week.
HB 1363
After an unsuccessful meeting in the previous week with a committee chairman, our Call to Action resulted in a hearing on HB 1363. They couldn’t ignore all your calls, texts, and emails on the issue. Thank you to everyone for your outreach. Unfortunately, the hearing didn’t go our way. Our bill was gutted and all that was left was language to have an actuarial study. A couple of committee members left the hearing to quickly vote in other meetings so there was no quorum. The meeting adjourned before those members could return. We had the votes. To watch the hearing, click here and fast-forward to 56:00.
SB 198
Several hours before the Senate HHS hearing, we were informed that a House Public Health meeting was scheduled for a Senate bill (SB 198) that was stripped of its original language and replaced with language that will pay independents the average of what chain pharmacies receive in the SHBP. It was presented by Chairman Lee Hawkins, and this was the only bill on the agenda. It passed the committee unanimously.
After it gets voted on the House floor, it heads back over to the Senate for an agree. We will be working hard to get this past the finish line. This started as an amendment to SB 455 but was removed and added to a gutted SB 198. To watch the hearing, click here.
Preparing to move forward
These are the last days of the session. I know the committee meeting was a letdown but please let’s wait to see if any of our other irons in the fire are successful before we send out emails to legislators expressing our disappointment.
Many of you have senators on that committee that went to bat for you, and I have reached out to them personally to thank them. I will also be reaching out to members in those senators’ districts to let them know how hard they fought.
We are regrouping and strategizing for the final week. Be on the lookout in case we have any Calls to Action. There are two session days and one committee day left so let us know if any legislators reach out to you with information that may be vital in this final stretch. The best way to reach me is my cell: 678-485-6126.
February 29: Quick Legislative Update
HB 1363 passed unanimously out of the House Health Committee on Monday. Next step is getting it called in Rules and then it will be up a floor vote by midnight on Crossover on Thursday, February 29. We had a pharmacy tech and around 15 pharmacists from all over, including Katie Bell, the subject of our one-pager in attendance:
Want to check out the video of the hearing? !
Good news! APCI donated funds to GPhA to hire former Senate Rules Chairman Jeff Mullis, to work our bills on the senate side. No one knows the senate better and he has already locked in the current senate rules chairman, Matt Brass, to sponsor our bill on the senate side!
2024 Legislative Update Days 11-18
Melissa Reybold, VP of Public Policy
As you can see in the picture below, the past two weeks were busier under the Gold Dome as the field trips, group visits, and Capitol tours resumed to pre-pandemic levels. The days are now much longer as many committee meetings are creeping into the evening hours.
On Monday, February 5, session was canceled so legislators could attend Chairman Richard Smith’s funeral in Columbus, Ga. Chairman Smith passed away peacefully in his sleep while battling the flu. As chair of the House Rules Committee, he had final say on what bills move forward for a vote on the House floor. He was a big supporter of GPhA and we will miss his wisdom and leadership.
HB 546
After a meeting with Chairman Lee Hawkins, we are expecting our prescription adaptation bill to be in front of his committee very soon. Since it got unanimous votes last year, we are expecting the same this year. Chairman Hawkins expressed his concern regarding SHBP after visiting his community pharmacy in Gainesville. We are currently discussing possible solutions to help our members.
HB 1035
Representative Sharon Cooper’s bill to dispense opioid reversal drugs by vending machines passed the House and is headed to the Senate side. The vending machines are planned for Emory University but could extend to other colleges in Georgia. This legislation would also 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.
There are a couple of other bills which will make opioid antagonists more accessible in state government buildings, courthouses, universities, and schools and GPhA will support these bills as they progress through the legislative process.
GPhA/AIP member Ira Katz has been a valuable resource in discussing opioid antagonist legislation. Also, I can’t tell you how many times during a session that a lawmaker tells me to thank Ira for being their ‘home away from home’ pharmacy and how much they appreciate his great care for them. While on the subject of Ira, Senator Nan Orrock stopped in his pharmacy before the 2024 session started to receive a PharmPAC donation. Senator Orrock sits on the Senate Health and Human Services committee and has always been a big supporter of GPhA.
Board of Pharmacy
February 14 is the next Board of Pharmacy meeting. According to the posted agenda on their site, two of our legislative initiatives from last year will be discussed: Eliminating the requirement of having a supervising physician on e-scripts written by NPs and PAs as well as partial fills of CII prescriptions. We are crossing our fingers that these two initiatives will get favorable votes from the board. If so, these two rules will be posted for public comments in a future meeting and hopefully advance to Governor Kemp’s desk for his signature.
The Board of Pharmacy has released its latest newsletter which includes information regarding CE requirements for pharmacy technicians, a GDNA update and President Michael Azzolin’s outgoing message.
And finally…
Look who I ran into at the Capitol this week! GPhA past president Wes Chapman and his wife, Abigail, stopped to chat before heading back to Vidalia. Wes is the board president for the Altama Museum of Art and History which was recently selected to receive the Governor’s Award and Wes had honor of meeting with the governor and first lady for a picture.
Things will be getting interesting here soon. Stay tuned for the next update and Calls for Action emails.
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.
Budget week 2024
By Melissa Reybold, VP of Public Policy
This past week was budget week and lawmakers spent the days in joint hearings listening to testimonies from agencies and elected officials on the proposed state budget. Even though session wasn’t in, GPhA had a calendar full of meetings, drafting bill language, Zooms and phone calls to advance initiatives beneficial to our members, their patients, and the pharmacy profession.
One of the highlights of the week was a lunch meeting with Chairlady Sharon Cooper. She has been a lawmaker since 1997 and much of her legislation that she has passed over the years is health related. She has always been a huge supporter of GPhA and it’s always a pleasure working with her on important legislation. A fun fact about Chairlady Cooper is that she loves folk art and her office at the Gold Dome has some great pieces that she has obtained from some significant artists all over Georgia. Years ago, my mother had a shop up near Lake Rabun and featured a lot of these artists’ works, so Chairlady Cooper and I love discussing our various folk art with each other.
In a meeting with Representative Rick Jasperse, we are gearing up to get HB 546 moving again. This is the prescription adaptation bill and since it didn’t get called in Rules before Crossover in 2023, it must make its way back to the House Health Committee to get heard again. We are optimistic that it will get unanimous votes like in 2023 and head to Rules before the chaos is in full swing.
US Congressman Buddy Carter will be coming to town to speak at a Senate committee meeting in favor of Representative Mark Newton’s bill. HB 343 will lower prescription drug costs by passing along rebates to the patient at the point of sale. This bill will benefit pharmacy patients and bring some transparency to PBM pricing. GPhA has been supportive of this bill for the past several years and we will continue to support this legislation this year.
There will be a lot of movement this week so the next update will include more information on our bills and other legislation relevant to our members and the profession. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to reach out to me by email (mreybold@gpha.org) or call or text me at 678-485-6126.
2024 Legislative Update Days 1-5
By Melissa Reybold, VP of Public Policy
Georgia’s 2024 legislative session convened on Monday, January 8, and GPhA was there. While no pharmacy specific bills were introduced, legislative days 1 through 5 were busy nonetheless with GPhA engaging in many discussions with legislators and stakeholders. Typically, the first week will highlight the Governor’s initiatives and other target bills from lawmakers so these first few days were light in terms of pharmacy legislation.
The yearly Georgia Chamber’s Eggs & Issues breakfast was Wednesday morning. Governor Kemp announced plans to appropriate funding towards transportation, infrastructure, housing, a medical school at UGA, and dental school at Georgia Southern. He also put the brakes on tort reform deciding that rewriting Georgia’s litigation rules will likely take longer than one legislative session.
While Eggs & Issues was going on, I attended the Georgia Board of Pharmacy meeting over at the Mercer School of Pharmacy. AIP’s VP, Jonathan Marquess, and Tuxedo Pharmacy owner and GPhA member, Dawn Sasine, were all in attendance with me front and center. Chuck Page gaveled in his first meeting as the president of the board. The open session consisted of rule waiver petitions, approval of minutes and the GDNA report. Ideas on outreach for the Board of Pharmacy’s newsletter were batted around with GPhA volunteering to help. Once the Board of Pharmacy resumes their newsletter, we will gladly help distribute it to our members to keep them in the loop. And just an FYI, the Board of Pharmacy posts events, public hearings, and important information on their page so keep it on your lists of websites to check every so often. For now, click here to view previous Board of Pharmacy newsletters.
As previously mentioned, pharmacy movement was light last week, but one bill did advance with a unanimous vote on Thursday afternoon. At the Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities committee meeting, Representative John LaHood presented HB 455 which would provide that professional programs relating to career fatigue and wellness in healthcare professionals are not obligated to report to licensing boards except in certain circumstances. Representative LaHood introduced this bill in 2023 and GPhA offered input on the language relating to pharmacists. This bill will now head to Rules with Senator John Albers as the sponsor on the Senate side.
This week there is no session as lawmakers work on the state budget, but the work continues as we have numerous meetings with stakeholders and legislators to advance our initiatives.
2024 Pre-session Update
Melissa Reybold, VP of Public Policy
On January 8, the 2024 legislative session will begin. Usually, it takes a day or two to get into the swing of things but considering there was just a special session for redistricting, we are already broken in and ready to go.
Our pharmacy legislator champion, Representative David Knight, was affected with the newly drawn districts during the special session. He will have to face another incumbent, Representative Beth Camp, in the May 21 primary. Representative Knight has been instrumental in sponsoring and passing our PBM legislation over the years and we will fully support him during his campaign.
During the special session, GPhA attended a few committee meetings for legislation that would help advance the practice of pharmacy. We are working with stakeholders and legislators on this initiative and hope this will advance through the legislative process in 2024.
We still have a bill in consideration from the 2023 session. HB 546 is our Prescription Adaptation bill. This will allow pharmacists to use their professional judgement to “adapt” prescriptions for small things to avoid calling doctors and delaying patient care. We are hoping this will cut down on some audits as well.
Lately, we have seen some movement with the PBMs. Back in early fall, PCMA addressed the House Rural Development Council on how PBMs help secure savings, deliver better health outcomes, and support access to quality healthcare. His presentation was titled “Pharmacy Benefit Managers’ Role in Drug Spending.” This was presented on October 25th, but April Fool’s Day would have been more appropriate. Unfortunately, we had conflicts on that day and could not testify at the hearing. We did send questions to some of the committee members to ask during the presentation and PCMA was unable to answer a few of those. Since PCMA’s presentation focused on their role in drug spending, who better to testify at the next meeting than APCI’s (and previously GPhA’s) Greg Reybold? On December 12th, Greg knocked it out of the park with his testimony on how the PBMs are hurting community pharmacies especially in rural areas. He presented published data on how PBMs charge different prices for the same drug on the same day and pointed out that their profits have increased exponentially. He stated that they are still ignoring laws and engaging in patient steering, clawbacks, and brand mandates. After his testimony, we continued our discussion on PBM practices outside of the hearing room with a few legislators that were enraged that these companies are consistently ignoring our laws. Greg and I made recommendations to the committee to have a fair pricing model like NADAC plus a dispensing fee and stronger enforcement of the PBMs. If you would like to watch his testimony, click the link below and scroll to the 1:20 mark.
The Board of Pharmacy had their last meeting of the year on Wednesday, December 13th. In his last meeting as President, Michael Azzolin turned up the heat with a full agenda including a vote at the end of the public meeting for the 2024 officers. Congratulations to President Chuck Page and Vice President Cecil Cordle on your new roles and look forward to working with you in 2024. (President Azzolin didn’t really turn up the heat, but someone did because the room was 81 degrees and we were all dying while Dawn Sasine’s hair got curlier and even more fabulous.)
’Tis the season for attending fundraisers and handing out PAC checks to legislators. Thank you to all of our GPhA members that have helped get those donations to our key lawmakers. GPhA Board member, Thomas Sherrer, recently presented a PharmPAC donation to Representative Devan Seabaugh at his pharmacy earlier this month. Representative Seabaugh sits on the House Public Health Committee and is a big supporter of GPhA.
Thank you to the members that have donated to PharmPAC. Your donations allow us to give the maximum amount allowed to the committee chairs that hear our bills as well as committee members and other legislators that support our efforts. Our success would not be possible without you, and our grass roots have made us a formidable and respected organization under the Gold Dome.
Once session starts, more details on legislation will be included in the updates. I am excited to say we are working together with various stakeholders on a number of initiatives that are beneficial to the profession and the patients of Georgia.
—Melissa Reybold, VP of Public Policy
2023 Legislative Update Halfway Point
Legislative Update Halfway Point
We have reached the halfway point in the 2023 legislative session with Crossover inching up on us in a couple of weeks. There are still hundreds of bills trying to make their way to the hopper including ours, so we still don’t have a bill number yet. Just to update all members, we decided to change course and not pursue the birth control prescribing issue. Prescription adaptation is still on the agenda, and we replaced birth control with testing. More on that once the bill gets introduced.
Here are some of the bills that we are following…
HB416 – Pharmacies; authorize qualified pharmacy technicians to administer certain vaccines
Yesterday, the tech vaccine bill was introduced. HB 416 will allow techs to give any COVID-19 vaccine and any ACIP vaccine for patients 18 years of age and up. Publix is behind this bill, and we will support their efforts to get this passed.
HB343 – Lowering Prescription Drug Costs for Patients Act; enact
Chairman Mark Newton is bringing back a bill he had last year that was one of many, like ours, that died in the Senate. HB 343 will require PBMs to calculate defined cost sharing for insureds at the point of sale.
GPhA is supporting this legislation as well. Chairman Cooper is carrying this bill which would require health insurance companies to cover comprehensive biomarker testing which can help pinpoint the type of cancer and exact treatment after being diagnosed. This type of blood and tissue testing can eliminate a lot of the “let’s try this treatment/medicine” which can waste precious time during a cancer diagnosis. It has already passed through the House with only 2 no votes.
This bill will require the Department of Community Health to include continuous glucose monitors as a pharmacy benefit for Medicaid recipients.
This bill looks to reign in “white bagging” practices and is sponsored by Representative David Knight.
HB332 – Controlled substances; Schedules I. IV, and V; provide certain provisions
This is the yearly drug update bill sponsored by Chairman Parrish and Chairman Stephens.
HB181 – Controlled Substances; mitragynine and hydroxymitragynine are Schedule I; provide
Representative Rick Townsend reached out to GPhA regarding HB 181 and asked if we would support his bill to ban “kratom” due to the recent deaths of children and young adults. The bill was heard in front of the Judiciary Non-Civil committee on Monday with many testifying in support or in opposition of the legislation. A few of the committee members thought a ban might be a little harsh but after hearing the grieving parents that lost children from kratom, ideas about better product labeling and testing were discussed. After almost 5 hours, the bill was tabled with several committee members agreeing to work on the bill with the sponsors.
This bill will allow the spouses of firefighters, healthcare providers, and law enforcement officers who relocate to Georgia to get their professional license within 90 days of date of receipt of an application as long as previous license was in good standing and not the subject of an investigation.
– Melissa Reybold, VP of Policy
2023 Legislative Update Week 4 (Days 9-12)
Seems like everyone is anxiously waiting for the dam to burst under the Gold Dome. We expected things to pick up significantly in Week 4 with longer floor sessions, more committee hearings, and hundreds of newly dropped bills to read through but it was another unusually slow week at the Capitol. GPhA was busy with meetings, drafting legislation and discussing issues with stakeholders. We met with legislators to voice our concerns regarding bills that are not favorable to the pharmacy profession as well. We are anticipating some movement with our agenda in Week 5. Stay tuned for next week’s update for bills we will be following during this legislative session.
— Melissa Reybold, VP of Public Policy
2023 Legislative Update Week 3 (Days 5-8)
There were no new developments in Week 3 with any of our agenda items. In fact, the overall feeling of a ‘calm before the storm’ looms under the Gold Dome right now. Legislative Counsel has drafted over 1,000 bills already but less than 20% have been introduced. Committees are still getting organized, and some are convening just to introduce committee members and adopt rules.
The House and Senate met for a joint session on Wednesday for Governor Kemp’s annual State of the State address. His session priorities include focusing on education, improving healthcare, tackling crime, and investing in Georgia’s workforce.
This week, GPhA will have continued conversations regarding our list of priorities. We have also been busy working with legislators and other stakeholders on relevant legislation that may have an impact on the pharmacy profession. We expect things to pick up significantly before next week’s Legislative Update.
– Melissa Reybold, VP of Public Policy
2023 Legislative Update Week 1 (Days 1-4)
Georgia’s 2023 Legislative Session gaveled in on Monday, January 9, with a light calendar for the day. Newly elected members of the assembly were sworn in with their families in attendance. A noticeable theme of bipartisanship was discussed in each chamber. This was evident with electing new chamber leaders without competing nominations. Also, for the first time ever that anyone can remember, the calendar for the entire session was set and agreed upon by the House and Senate on Day 1.
The first day left a feeling of refreshing change and optimism and after tying up some procedural work, the members of the General Assembly adjourned before noon. It seemed the lawmakers had somewhere to go after adjournment, so the Capitol cleared out pretty quickly. Maybe they had a secret meeting to attend that only allowed Black and Red apparel since that’s what most of them were wearing or maybe they were just trying to beat Atlanta traffic. Maybe history was repeating itself like last year and they were getting ready for the Georgia Bulldogs to play in the National Championship again!! We all know the answer and the outcome. Congratulations to the Bulldogs for their 2nd championship in a row!
Midweek, leaders gathered at the Georgia World Congress Center for the annual Georgia Chamber of Commerce Eggs and Issues breakfast to hear the 2023 session priorities of Governor Kemp, Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, and Speaker of the House Jon Burns. Speaker Burns announced that healthcare was a top priority and plans to create a new health committee that will have policy and budgetary oversight on existing health committees. Representative Butch Parrish will chair the new committee. Representative Parrish is one of our pharmacist legislators in the General Assembly and we appreciate his continued support and congratulate him on his new committee assignment!
Both chambers continued organizational work and the House will have most of the committee assignments done next week during budget week.
It was all about Governor Kemp on Thursday with his inauguration at Georgia State University’s new Convocation Center. The Governor detailed his plans to cut taxes while returning some of the tax revenues to the citizens of Georgia. He is asking for $2000 raises for teachers and state employees and $150 million in grants for school districts. The Inaugural Gala followed later that night at State Farm Arena.
There are many changes this year in the assembly. New leadership in both chambers is in place. There are over 40 new legislators that are learning the ropes. Committees are changing and one that many of our bills passed through, the Special Committee on Access to Quality Health Care, is no more. We are waiting for final committee assignments to strategize on bill sponsors. This week is budget week so the General Assembly is not in session but meetings with legislators, lobbyists, and stakeholders will be on the schedule.
– Melissa Reybold, VP of Public Policy
2022 Sine Die at the State Capitol
The 40th day of the legislative session is known as Sine Die which has the Latin meaning, indefinitely without a future date being designated. Sine Die fell on April 4 this year and the day was a long and eventful one. There were discussions that this last day felt and appeared different than in years past, but you could still see the anticipation, stress, and last-ditch efforts of lobbyists and legislators trying to pass bills before the clock struck midnight.
The lobbyists had their credit cards ready for any extra food that needed to be ordered and the deliveries of water and Coke products were constant throughout the day. At a certain point, you could smell the coffee brewing to prepare the assembly members for the midnight hours.
The rope line was buzzing with people waiting to discuss bills and amendments before final votes were cast. In previous years, notes were handed to a runner, and they would give it to the designated legislator, who would then decide if they would leave the floor to discuss a bill. Now, most people just text or try to speak to a lawmaker during recess.
At midday, large groups of people, journalists, and news cameras appeared in the North Wing to witness Governor Kemp sign HB 1013, the Mental Health Parity Act, into law. This bipartisan bill was sponsored by Speaker David Ralston and will allow Georgians to have more access to mental health and substance abuse care. Speaker Ralston, Governor Kemp, and Lieutenant Governor Duncan spoke before the signing. Cheers were heard through the gold dome for this landmark legislation.
Our legislative policy committee met over the summer to go over legislative agenda items. Our main legislative priority was to get more money, around 3-5 dollars per claim, in the budget for independents to increase dispensing fees for Medicaid claims. Before the session started, we pivoted to go after a Medicaid carve-out that would have gone into effect in July 2024. The bill got a lot of support early on but ultimately died without garnering a hearing in the Senate. Luckily, we were able to pivot back to our original priority and work with appropriations to add money in the budget. The budget committee met early morning hours of Sine Die to go over the final draft, so the next few hours were spent sleuthing around to confirm what was allotted to us. Starting in July 2022, independents will get up to a $4 dispensing fee for Medicaid claims. Also, $250,000 was set aside to conduct an audit of the current Medicaid management organizations and their contracted PBMs, and a report of the findings will go directly to the Chairs of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.
Although a carve-out would have been monumental, we achieved our initial priority and some relief for our independent pharmacists will come in July. We are hoping to increase the dispensing fee in the budget next year in addition to whatever our other legislative priorities will be in 2023.
2022 Legislative Update Days 32-35
Sine Die is next Monday and unfortunately, it looks like HB 1351 will not make it to the finish line.
GPhA is grateful for all of your calls and emails to Senators and Senate leadership over the last several weeks. The pharmacist’s response was phenomenal and we received positive feedback from several senators as a result of your calls.
On a positive note, consistent with GPhA’s initial legislative priority, there has been some money allocated in the budget for a pass-through dispensing fee and talks are going on in the hopes of maintaining and increasing the allocation in the final budget.
HB1591
One bill that has garnered national attention is from one of our own, Representative Ron Stephens. HB 1591 looks to add a sub-paragraph relating to the definition of racketeer-influenced and corrupt organizations to read as follows…
“(D) ‘Racketeering activity’ shall also mean the assessment of a retroactive fee or clawback by a pharmacy benefits manager, pharmacy services administrative organization, or insurance company on a pharmacy after a claim has been adjudicated, other than for fraud.”
This bill was introduced after crossover and so it is not viable to pass this year though with the attention it has received, it may shape policy and legislation in the months and years to come. Also, it made the PBMs sweat a little!
HR 823
House Study Committee on Pharmacy Deserts
This week there will be a press conference with State Representatives Sandra Scott (D-Rex), Kim Schofield (D-Atlanta), and Viola Davis (D-Stone Mountain) at the Capitol to discuss Three Key “Deserts” for Underserved Communities which includes pharmacies and how a lack of access has been a longstanding problem across the state.
HB 963
Controlled substances; Schedule I and IV; change certain provisions
Annual drug bill. Passed and waiting for Governor’s signature.
HB 1276
Community Health, Department of; statistical reports data relating to state health plans be posted on department website
Representative Hawkins’ bill that requires statistical reports relating to state health plans and prescription drug spending be posted on the department website. Passed through the House and waiting on a Senate vote.
HB 1279
Controlled substances; certain persons to carry prescription medications in a compartmentalized container
Representative Matthew Gambill’s bill will allow anyone with a chronic disease or anyone over age 65 who have been prescribed one or medications by a physician to carry their prescriptions in a compartmentalized container with the capacity to hold up to a 21 day supply. This bill is waiting on a Senate vote.
SB 341
Healthcare Services; guidelines for the prior authorization of a prescribed medication for chronic conditions requiring ongoing medication therapy
Senators Kirkpatrick, Burke, Watson and Hufstetler’s bill provides guidelines for the prior authorization for chronic conditions requiring ongoing medication therapy under certain circumstances to prevent, diagnose, treat or relieve symptoms of a chronic condition for at least a year. This bill is waiting to be signed by the Governor.
HB 867
Truth in Prescription Pricing for Patients Act
This bill is waiting on a Senate committee vote. GPhA will continue to monitor and support this bill.
If you have any questions, please reach out to me at mreybold@gpha.org.
Melissa Reybold
2022 Legislative Update Days 28-31
Crossover was last Tuesday and luckily, our bill already made it out of the house so we didn’t have the stress of waiting and watching all day and night like some of the others. We are still waiting for a hearing to be scheduled in the Senate Insurance and Labor Committee. It’s getting down to the wire now with only eight legislative days left after today! Some of the bills we have been monitoring did not make it through crossover but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the bill is dead. Sometimes the language in a bill that did not crossover will get inserted into another bill.
HB 1351
Community Health, Department of; pharmacy benefits management for Medicaid program
HB 1351 passed in the House with unanimous votes. We are waiting for a committee hearing. Please continue to call your senator and ask for the support of this bill.
HB 1519
Insurance; prohibit insurers from unilaterally changing network participation contracts impacting coverage, access to, or costs of ancillary services
Representative Knight sponsored this bill which will prohibit insurers from unilaterally changing network participation contracts impacting coverage, access to, or costs of ancillary services, which includes pharmacy services. This bill was assigned to the House Special Committee on Access to Quality Healthcare and passed with unanimous votes. This bill did not make it through crossover.
HB 1279
Controlled substances; certain persons to carry prescription medications in a compartmentalized container
Representative Matthew Gambill’s bill will allow anyone with a chronic disease or anyone over age 65 who have been prescribed one or medications by a physician to carry their prescriptions in a compartmentalized container with the capacity to hold up to a 21 day supply. This bill was heard in the House Health and Human Services Committee where GPhA offered comments regarding the language in the bill. It passed via substitute with unanimous votes in the committee as well as the House. It will now head to the Senate Public Safety Committee but a hearing has not been scheduled.
SB 256
County Boards of Health; comprehensive reorganization
This bill will prohibit the sale of OTC cough syrup containing dextromethorphan to anyone under 18 years of age. GPhA will continue to monitor this legislation.
HB 1453
Crimes and offenses; access to medical cannabis
Representative Sharon Cooper and Representative Micah Gravely are the main sponsors of this bill which looks to revise provisions regarding access to medical cannabis and to provide for accreditation of independent laboratories for testing low THC oil and products. Also, this bill would provide for additional Class 1 and Class 2 production licenses and transfer the operation and maintenance of the Low THC Oil Patient Registry from the Department of Community Health to the Georgia Composite Medical Board. This bill did not make it through crossover.
Bills we are continuing to monitor…
HB 867
Truth in Prescription Pricing for Patients Act
GPhA testified in support of this bill last Friday morning in the Senate Insurance and Labor Committee hearing. This was a hearing only so no votes were cast. GPhA will continue to monitor and support this bill.
SB 341
Healthcare Services; guidelines for the prior authorization of a prescribed medication for chronic conditions requiring ongoing medication therapy
Senators Kirkpatrick, Burke, Watson and Hufstetler’s bill provides guidelines for the prior authorization for chronic conditions requiring ongoing medication therapy under certain circumstances to prevent, diagnose, treat or relieve symptoms of a chronic condition for at least a year. GPhA testified in support of this bill last week at the Health and Human Services hearing and it passed with unanimous votes. This bill is now is headed to the House.
HB 902
Insurance; reduce out-of-pocket costs for consumers requiring insulin
This bill would limit total cost of insulin not to exceed $100 for a 30-day supply regardless of the amount or type of insulin needed to fill a covered person’s prescription. This bill did not make it through Crossover.
HR 823
House Study Committee on Pharmacy Deserts
A creation of a House study committee on identifying pharmacy deserts within the state and to find solutions to eliminate them. This study will examine programs in Georgia and other states and look for sources of revenue for pharmacy desert programs.
HB 963
Controlled substances; Schedule I and IV; change certain provisions
The annual drug bill passed through both chambers and is waiting on the Governor’s signature.
SB 518
“Prescription Drug Rebate Financial Protection Act”
This bill was introduced by Senator Hufstetler which requires all health insurers to pass along no less that 80 percent of all prescription drug rebates to enrollees that such insurer receives from 3rd parties relating to prescription drugs. This bill did not make it through crossover.
HB 1276
Community Health, Department of; statistical reports data relating to state health plans be posted on department website
Representative Hawkins’ bill that requires statistical reports relating to state health plans and prescription drug spending be posted on the department website. Passed through the House and was heard in the Senate Insurance and Labor committee hearing last Friday.
HB 1400
Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission; subject to state procurement laws
This bill increases the Class I production licenses from 2 to 9 in 100,000 square feet of cultivation space and increases the Class II production licenses from 4 to 19 in 50,000 square feet of cultivation space. This bill did not make it through crossover.
If you have any questions, please reach out to me at mreybold@gpha.org.
Melissa Reybold
2022 Legislative Update Days 25-27
Things are heating up at the Capitol with the crossover date approaching tomorrow, March 15. Many bills are waiting to be heard and passed in the House or Senate so they can “crossover” to the other chamber for consideration. Luckily, our bill, HB 1351, passed unanimously in the House and is waiting to be scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Insurance and Labor Committee. We will be asking you to reach out to committee members in the coming days. We have a lot of work to do with only 12 legislative days left after crossover so please keep an eye out for the next call to action.
HB 1351
Pharmacy Benefits Management for Medicaid Program
HB 1351 passed in the House with unanimous votes. It has been assigned to the Senate Insurance and Labor Committee. We don’t have a date for the hearing yet.
HB 1519
Prohibit Insurers from Changing Network Participation Contracts
Representative Knight sponsored this bill which will prohibit insurers from unilaterally changing network participation contracts impacting coverage, access to, or costs of ancillary services, which includes pharmacy services. This bill was assigned to the House Special Committee on Access to Quality Healthcare and passed with unanimous votes. It is scheduled for a House vote on crossover day. GPhA will continue to monitor and support this legislation.
HB 1279
Prescription Medications in a Compartmentalized Container
Representative Matthew Gambill’s bill will allow anyone with a chronic disease or anyone over age 65 who has been prescribed one or more medications by a physician to carry their prescriptions in a compartmentalized container with the capacity to hold up to a 21 day supply. This bill was heard in the House Health and Human Services Committee where GPhA offered comments regarding the language in the bill. It passed via substitute with unanimous votes in the committee as well as the House. It will now head to the Senate Public Safety Committee.
SB 256
Dextromethorphan
This bill will prohibit the sale of OTC cough syrup containing dextromethorphan to anyone under 18 years of age.
HB 1453
Access to Medical Cannabis
Representative Sharon Cooper and Representative Micah Gravely are the main sponsors of this bill which looks to revise provisions regarding access to medical cannabis and to provide for accreditation of independent laboratories for testing low THC oil and products. Also, this bill would provide for additional Class 1 and Class 2 production licenses and transfer the operation and maintenance of the Low THC Oil Patient Registry from the Department of Community Health to the Georgia Composite Medical Board. This bill passed through committee via substitute and is on its way to the House on crossover day.
Bills we are continuing to monitor…
HB 867
Truth in Prescription Pricing for Patients Act
Truth in Prescription Pricing for Patients Act was heard in the Special Committee on Access to Quality Healthcare. GPhA was present and testified in support along with APCI, Medical Association of Georgia, ATAP (Alliance for Transparent & Affordable Prescriptions), and Georgians for a Heathy Future. The bill passed the House and is scheduled in the Senate Insurance and Labor Committee later this week.
SB 341
Guidelines for the Prior Authorization of a Prescribed Medication for Chronic Conditions
Senators Kirkpatrick, Burke, Watson, and Hufstetler’s bill provides guidelines for the prior authorization for chronic conditions requiring ongoing medication therapy under certain circumstances to prevent, diagnose, treat or relieve symptoms of a chronic condition for at least a year. GPhA testified in support of this bill today at the Health and Human Services hearing and it passed with unanimous votes. This bill is now is headed to the House.
HB 902
Reduce Out-of-Pocket Costs for Consumers Requiring Insulin
This bill would limit the total cost of insulin not to exceed $100 for a 30-day supply regardless of the amount or type of insulin needed to fill a covered person’s prescription. This bill hasn’t had much movement since January but GPhA will continue to monitor this bill.
HR 823
House Study Committee on Pharmacy Deserts
Creation of a House study committee on identifying pharmacy deserts within the state and to find solutions to eliminate them. This study will examine programs in Georgia and other states and look for sources of revenue for pharmacy desert programs.
HB 963
Schedule I and IV Controlled Substances
The annual drug bill passed through the House and is now in the Senate.
SB 518
Prescription Drug Rebate Financial Protection Act
This bill was introduced by Senator Hufstetler which requires all health insurers to pass along no less than 80 percent of all prescription drug rebates to enrollees that such insurer receives from 3rd parties relating to prescription drugs. GPhA will monitor this legislation.
HB 1276
Statistical Reports Data relating to State Health Plans
Representative Hawkins’ bill that requires statistical reports relating to state health plans and prescription drug spending be posted on the department website. Passed through the House and will be heard in the Senate Insurance and Labor Committee.
HB 1400
Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission
This bill increases the Class I production licenses from 2 to 9 in 100,000 square feet of cultivation space and increases the Class II production licenses from 4 to 19 in 50,000 square feet of cultivation space. This bill passed through committee and will head to the House for a vote on Crossover.
If you have any questions, please reach out to me at mreybold@gpha.org.
Melissa Reybold
GPhA VP Public Policy
