State budgets continue to absorb significant cost increases related to pharmaceuticals, and the Kansas Medicaid program (KanCare) — at 16.7 percent of state general funds — is under the microscope for issues related to drug payments and discount reporting by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).
On February 17, 2022, the Kansas Health Institute (KHI) hosted a virtual discussion and provided a brief overview of Medicaid pharmacy pricing, high-cost drugs, rebates and PBMs, along with a discussion of state policy options for controlling cost. Phillip Steiner, M.A., led the discussion.
KHI materials related to this topic can be accessed in the Documents & Downloads section.
External resources referenced in the discussion include:
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- Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF): States Respond to COVID-19 Challenges but Also Take Advantage of New Opportunities to Address Long-Standing Issues: Results from a 50-State Medicaid Budget Survey for State Fiscal Years 2021 and 2022 (October 2021)
- Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC): Addressing High-Cost Specialty Drugs (June 2021)
- Ohio Medicaid Managed Care: Ohio Medicaid Single Pharmacy Benefit Manager (SPBM) (n.d.)
- Arnold Ventures: New Poll: Majority of Voters Want Congress To Take Action To Lower Health Care Prices (June 2021)
- KFF: Pricing and Payment for Medicaid Prescription Drugs (January 2020)
- Health Affairs: The Contribution Of New Product Entry Versus Existing Product Inflation In The Rising Costs Of Drugs (January 2019)