A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT DIRECTING THE Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Medical Assistance, TO DETERMINE THE IMPACT OF THE FEDERAL DEFICIT REDUCTION ACT OF 2005 ON THE PAYMENT FOR GENERIC DRUGS.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  The Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Medical Assistance, shall, not later than January 1, 2007, determine the impact of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 on the payment for generic drugs under the Medicaid Program and, if necessary, shall pay, from funds appropriated for the Medicaid program for the 2006‑2007 fiscal year, a supplemental professional services fee in order to maintain the amount of reimbursement for generic drugs as provided for in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005.
SECTION 2.  Not later than January 1, 2007, the Department of Health and Human Services shall conduct a survey of pharmacy providers participating in the Medicaid program to determine the cost of dispensing a Medicaid prescription in North Carolina.  In place of the survey, the Department of Health and Human Services may use a recently conducted national survey of a statistically relevant sample of pharmacies.  The Department shall report its findings to the Senate Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services, the House of Representative Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, and the Fiscal Research Division not later than March 1, 2007.
SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2006.