First, I want to let all of you know that your safety and security through this pandemic is my first and foremost priority. I receive briefings every day on COVID-19 and will continue to do so throughout the month-long shutdown of the legislature. Whatever I know that is not a security risk to share, I will make sure that you all know through the press and the Iowa Department of Public Health.
Last week we made major progress on two very important bills: combating prescription drug costs and expanding our medical cannabis program.
Medical Cannabis – Several years ago we established a team of medical experts to be the board in charge of making recommendations to the legislature about our medical cannabis program. I am staunch supporter of expanding this program, as I believe it is a medicine that helps people. I was happy to support a robust expansion in the House last week. The recommendations propose capping the THC level at 4.5g per 90 days. Here is the important part — 4.5g might not work for people with some conditions so the bill we passed allows a health care provider to recommend a patient for a higher THC level. These are decisions best made by a patient and their doctor — not the legislature.
Another key expansion is the definition of healthcare provider. The first step for patients to qualify for the program is finding a healthcare provider to make the recommendation for you. Originally, only doctors could make the recommendation. We expand that to allow physician assistants (PAs), advanced registered nurse practitioners, advanced practice registered nurses and licensed podiatrists. This is a critical part of the bill when it comes to access. Current law prohibits a person convicted of a felony from having access to the medical cannabidiol program. The bill removes that language. Finally, the bill requires medical cannabidiol dispensaries to employ a pharmacist or pharmacy technician to make dosing recommendations. I think this makes sense with the expansion of a program. I believe we should never stop working on this program and we should always be open to more expansions but for now this is a great first step in allowing Iowans to access a medicine that can greatly improve their lives.
Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) – I have written in the past about PBMs and my staunch belief that they are a key reason for the rise of prescription drug costs. I have also written about my investigation into them that exposed startling wrongdoing. Last week in the Iowa House we unanimously passed a piece of legislation that will finally begin to hold them accountable. The bill finally puts regulations around PBMs to reign in their nefarious practices. The bill does the following:
* Protects rural pharmacies by preventing a PBM from limiting access to drugs through national or regional wholesalers.
* Prevents a PBM from reimbursing a pharmacy for a prescription in an amount less than the amount that the PBM reimburses a PBM affiliate for providing the same prescription drug.
* Requires PBMs to have an appeal procedure for pharmacies.
* Prohibits a PBM from conducting spread pricing. Spread pricing is a model drug pricing in which a PBM charges a health insurer a contracted price for a prescription drug, and the contracted price differs from the amount the PBM directly or indirectly pays a pharmacy for the drug.
* Prevents a PBM from retroactively reducing payment on a claim to a pharmacy after the date of payment for a clean claim.
These common-sense regulations are long overdue for an industry that has been driving up your prescription drug costs and bankrupting our small-town pharmacies.
Capitol visitors: Brandon Pflanzer – Iowa City
My listening posts are canceled until the IDPH gives the recommendation that it is safe for these types of public gatherings to occur. I am going to err on the side of caution. This also includes the meeting for the Super Two/Highway 30 discussion. All will be rescheduled.
Contact Representative Kaufmann:
E-mail: Bobby.Kaufmann@legis.iowa.gov
Phone: 563-260-3355
Mail: 1527 330th Street, Wilton IA 52778
