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Washington State Drops Budget Provision That Would Have Cut Medicaid Pharmacy Payments
Washington state lawmakers this week eliminated a budgetary proposal that would have reduced Medicaid payment rates to pharmacies to the lowest levels in the country, the AP/Spokane Spokesman-Review reports. The provision would have reduced the payment rate from 86% to 80% of the average wholesale price of branded drugs. It had been approved by the state House and Gov. Chris Gregoire (D) and was intended to address the state"s $9.3 billion shortfall for the current fiscal year.The state"s Department of Social and Health Services moved to make the rate change on April 1, but pharmacy operators and a person living with HIV/AIDS brought a suit in federal court in Tacoma, Wash., and a judge blocked the change. According to the judge"s order, the plaintiffs likely could prove that their best interests had not been sufficiently considered and that the proposal would diminish the quality of Medicaid care in the state. Walgreen had stated that if the rate change occurred, 44 of its 111 stores in the state would no longer be able to fill Medicaid prescriptions. Other pharmacies made similar arguments. The state prepared an argument on behalf of the rate cut, but later decided against it.Along with eliminating the payment reduction, state legislators added a provision that a DSHS analysis is required before rates can be lowered in the next budget, as well as one placing a 2% cap on any future rate cuts. DSHS spokesperson Jim Stevenson said the agency had not started to analyze what would be required to get a rate cut approved, but added, "I think we"re at a stage where we"re going to have to do it soon if we want to get ready for July 1," the start of fiscal year 2010 (AP/Spokane Spokesman-Review, 5/13).
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National Review Of The Independent Reviewing Officer Service In Wales
The Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW) published its report on the review of Independent Reviewing Officer (IRO) service in Wales.
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Obama's Focus On Health Care Crucial To Reform
"After a week of international diplomacy, President Obama returns to Washington this week facing an even greater diplomatic challenge: nudging the large and controversial health-care reform package toward consensus on Capitol Hill," The Washington Post reports. Despite media reports of challenges including "the virtual wall of opposition among Republicans," "resistance among conservative Blue Dog Democrats over the potential cost," and "nervousness among progressives that the White House might compromise too much on a public insurance option," officials at the White House "remain publicly optimistic." White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said that the issues are just part of "the nature of what we"re doing," and that "we"ve never, on universal coverage, been this close to the goal line."
Public Health

Polio Cases Detected In Argentina, India, Nigeria, Uganda

News outlets in several countries recently reported on new cases of polio, including in places where the disease is not endemic. Summaries of the articles appear below. Argentina : On Tuesday, Argentina"s Public Health Ministry issued a warning and highlighted polio prevention recommendations after an infant was diagnosed with polio in San Luis province, Prensa Latina reports. The child had a "rare pathology that altered his immune system and allowed the onset of polio," according to Prensa Latina. The WHO recommends that 95 percent of infants and school-age children receive vaccinations in order to effectively prevent the spread of the disease. A health worker said vaccination efforts in Argentina need to be scaled up because some areas only have 85 percent coverage (Prensa Latina, 6/2). The Buenos Aires Herald reported that this is the first case of polio in the country in 15 years (Buenos Aires Herald, 6/2) while Prensa Latina reported that it was the first case in 25 years (Prensa Latina, 6/2). India : India has reported 18 cases of wild poliovirus type 1 so far this year, which is more than double the five cases that were reported during the same period last year, Indianexpress.com reports. A total of 59 cases of polio have been diagnosed in the country. Recently the India Expert Advisory Group, a group that advises the government about polio, said the spread of the virus could be stopped if its recommendations are implemented. Six months ago, it recommended that polio vaccine injections be given in high-risk districts in Uttar Pradesh, but that has yet to be implemented, Indianexpress.com reports. A senior health ministry official said that the Indian Council of Medical Research is studying the efficacy of polio vaccines (Thacker, Indianexpress.com, 6/3). Nigeria : Health workers are blaming the "sudden outbreak" of polio in Nigeria"s Benue State on a lack of cooperation from council chairmen, the Vanguard reports. Council chairmen have "persistently refused to cooperate with those saddled with the responsibilities of ensuring that Benue children were properly immunized against childhood killer diseases," according to the Vanguard. The health workers said, "Even when we get all the vaccines from donor agencies and ensure that they are distributed to all the health facilities in the state, we do not have the financial wherewithal to sensitise and mobilise the workers to the rural areas where majority of the target population are found" (Duru, Vanguard, 6/3). Uganda : A 28-month-old child has been diagnosed with polio in Busaru sub-county in Uganda"s Bundibugyo district, the New Vision reports. A second case in Busaru sub-county is suspected. William Sikyewunda, the district medical officer, said a health ministry team is examining the situation. He added that there are plans to vaccinate all children in the district against polio (Mafaranga, New Vision, 6/2). Uganda"s health minister said that the government plans to begin a three-day immunization campaign on Saturday in an effort to immunize six million children younger than age five against polio and measles, the New Vision reports. The 11 billion shilling campaign, which is about $5 million, is funded by UNICEF, the WHO, the Red Cross and the Ugandan government (Magara, New Vision, 6/1). This information was reprinted from globalhealth.kff.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at globalhealth.kff.org. © Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.


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