Louisiana 2022 2022 Regular Session

Louisiana House Bill HCR88 Introduced / Bill

                    HLS 22RS-2608	ORIGINAL
2022 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 88
BY REPRESENTATIVE ECHOLS
MEDICAID:  Urges and requests the La. Department of Health to utilize increased
collections from pharmacy rebates to increase rates for primary care providers in the
Medicaid program
1	A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To request the Louisiana Department of Health to utilize increased collections from
3 pharmacy rebates to increase rates for primary care providers in the Medicaid
4 program.
5 WHEREAS, the term "primary care" refers to routine healthcare services delivered
6by clinicians who are accountable for addressing a large majority of personal healthcare
7needs, developing a sustained partnership with patients, and practicing in the context of
8family and community; this care includes screening, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment
9for the purpose of promoting a person's health and detecting and managing a person's disease
10or injury; and 
11 WHEREAS, primary care is a vital component of any healthcare system and is
12essential for improving and maintaining the health of any population; and
13 WHEREAS, enhancing healthcare provider reimbursement rates for primary care in
14the Louisiana Medicaid program is a direct incentive for increasing the availability of this
15much-needed care in our state; and
16 WHEREAS, House Resolution 1 of the 2020 Second Extraordinary Session of the
17Legislature requested a study of the costs and benefits of setting Medicaid reimbursement
18rates for primary care services equivalent to Medicare rates for those services; and
19 WHEREAS, the resulting study found that Louisiana's Medicaid program pays on
20average 67% of the rates provided by Medicare; and
Page 1 of 2 HLS 22RS-2608	ORIGINAL
HCR NO. 88
1 WHEREAS, the Fiscal Year 2022-2023 Executive Budget recommendation includes
2$951,025,994 in pharmacy rebates that offset the expenditure need of the Medicaid program;
3and
4 WHEREAS, the Medicaid Estimating Conference received testimony at its meeting
5on April 12, 2022, that projected pharmacy rebate amounts could exceed the amounts
6recommended in the Executive Budget for Fiscal Year 2022-2023.
7 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
8request the Louisiana Department of Health to utilize these additional pharmacy rebates to
9increase base reimbursement rates provided to primary care and pediatric office visit
10Evaluation and Management codes up to one hundred percent of the Medicare
11reimbursement rates provided for primary care services in the Fiscal Year 2022-2023 budget.
12 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
13secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and the director of the Louisiana Medicaid
14program.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services.  It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument.  The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent.  [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HCR 88 Original 2022 Regular Session	Echols
Requests the La. Department of Health to utilize increased pharmacy rebate collections
within the Medicaid program in Fiscal Year 2022-2023 to increase primary care and
pediatric office visit reimbursement rates to levels provided by Medicare.
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