PRINTER'S NO. 224
No. 53 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY McILHATTAN, COHEN, DeLUCA, GEORGE, SAYLOR, GEIST,
HUTCHINSON, KING, ARGALL, MUSTIO, CALTAGIRONE, SONNEY,
BELFANTI, CAPPELLI, MANDERINO, YOUNGBLOOD, HENNESSEY,
SOLOBAY, SCAVELLO, R. MILLER, O'NEILL, PYLE, REICHLEY, DALLY,
RAPP, JOSEPHS, CAUSER, WALKO, STERN, FREEMAN, BOYD, MILLARD,
HESS, GINGRICH AND COSTA, FEBRUARY 5, 2007
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON AGING AND OLDER ADULT SERVICES,
FEBRUARY 5, 2007
A RESOLUTION
1 Directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to
2 conduct a study on the feasibility of consolidating the
3 Commonwealth's prescription drug plans under a single
4 administrator.
5 WHEREAS, There are currently a number of State prescription
6 drug programs in this Commonwealth that serve distinct
7 populations and have differing administrative oversight
8 entities; and
9 WHEREAS, Legislative proposals have been introduced to
10 consolidate all of the Commonwealth's prescription drug plans
11 under a single administrator, namely the Department of Aging's
12 PACE Program; and
13 WHEREAS, The concept of a pharmacy benefits consolidation
14 program in this Commonwealth has drawn support on the basis that
15 it would potentially be more cost effective than the current
16 system, would result in additional revenues from greater drug
1 manufacturer rebates, would provide much-needed incentives to
2 pharmacists through increased reimbursements and would be
3 overseen by the Department of Aging's PACE office, which has
4 established itself as one of the most efficiently run State
5 pharmacy programs nationwide; and
6 WHEREAS, The concept of a pharmacy benefits consolidation
7 program in this Commonwealth has drawn opposition on the basis
8 that it would require a massive increase in the Commonwealth's
9 prescription drug costs, would create an unwieldy and
10 problematic administrative process, could result in a lower
11 level of care for the thousands of Pennsylvanians who rely on
12 the Commonwealth's many existing prescription drug programs for
13 their medications and appears to conflict with the Older
14 Americans Act of 1965 (Public Law 89-73, 42 U.S.C. § 3001 et
15 seq.), which mandates that all Federal funds paid to the
16 Department of Aging must be used exclusively for programs for
17 older Pennsylvanians; therefore be it
18 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives direct the
19 Legislative Budget and Finance Committee, in consultation with
20 experts and specialists in the field of pharmacy benefits
21 programs as well as representatives of the various Commonwealth
22 pharmacy benefits programs, to conduct a study to examine the
23 feasibility of consolidating the Commonwealth's prescription
24 drug plans under a single administrator, the issues articulated
25 in support of and in opposition to existing legislative
26 proposals to effectuate consolidation and the experiences of
27 other states nationwide with regard to consolidation of pharmacy
28 benefits programs; and be it further
29 RESOLVED, That the committee prepare and submit a report,
30 with recommendations as appropriate, to the Speaker of the House
20070H0053R0224 - 2 -
1 of Representatives and to members of the Aging and Older Adult
2 Services Committee within one year of the adoption of this
3 resolution.
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