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91_HR0942
LRB9115141KBkb
1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2 WHEREAS, With more than 2,100 community pharmacies in the
3 State, community pharmacies constitute a substantial industry
4 in the State of Illinois; and
5 WHEREAS, Community pharmacies employ more than 125,000
6 persons in the State of Illinois; and
7 WHEREAS, Community pharmacies pay more than $1.2 billion
8 annually in State taxes; and
9 WHEREAS, Community pharmacies are a critical part of the
10 health care delivery network in the State of Illinois; and
11 WHEREAS, Community pharmacies provide critical
12 prescription services to Medicaid beneficiaries and other
13 indigent persons; and
14 WHEREAS, The cost of acquiring drugs from pharmaceutical
15 manufacturers has increased 99.4% over the past 5 years; and
16 WHEREAS, The continuing shortage of pharmacists have
17 caused their salaries to increase continuously over the same
18 period; and
19 WHEREAS, In recent years the dispensing fee paid by the
20 State of Illinois has decreased by 3.6% as a portion of major
21 Medicaid cost components; and
22 WHEREAS, The Department of Public Aid recently announced
23 its intention to reduce reimbursement for pharmacy services
24 provided to Medicaid beneficiaries by more than $85 million
25 over the next 19 months; and
26 WHEREAS, The proposed reductions would undermine the
27 ability of community pharmacies to provide high quality and
28 efficient care to their patients; and
29 WHEREAS, The Department of Public Aid has proposed to
-2- LRB9115141KBkb
1 implement these reductions without conducting a study
2 concerning the adequacy of the proposed reimbursement rates,
3 as required by federal law; and
4 WHEREAS, The Department of Public Aid has proposed to
5 implement these reductions in pharmacy reimbursement as
6 emergency rules, thereby eliminating legislative oversight by
7 the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules for at least 150
8 days; and
9 WHEREAS, The Department of Public Aid proposes to
10 implement these emergency rules at a time immediately
11 following a working session of the General Assembly, thereby
12 ignoring an opportunity for the General Assembly's insight
13 into budgetary priorities; therefore, be it
14 RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
15 NINETY-FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
16 the Department of Public Aid is strongly urged to refrain (1)
17 from imposing any reductions in reimbursement under the
18 Medicaid program for pharmacy services without first
19 completing the federally-mandated study of pharmacy costs in
20 a full, fair, and impartial manner, and (2) from implementing
21 any pharmacy rate reductions in the form of emergency rules
22 or by any other method without first consulting the General
23 Assembly; and be it further
24 RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
25 presented to the Director of Public Aid and the Office of the
26 Governor of the State of Illinois.