The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to begin debating its health reform bill Saturday. Pharmacy needs to urge them to increase the Medicaid generic drug reimbursement rate by at least 200 percent.

Proposed health reform legislation would restore some of the billion of dollars in Medicaid generic drug cuts made in the Deficit Reduction Act. The currently proposed House health reform bill sets the maximum reimbursement rate at 130 percent of weighted average AMP.

We thank the House for restoring some of these cuts, but this rate is too low! The reimbursement rate must be increased to a minimum of 200 percent of weighted average AMP.

Your representatives need to know the effect of inadequate Medicaid reimbursement on your business. The average independent community pharmacy derives more than 90 percent of all revenue from prescriptions sales, and 15 percent of all prescription revenues from Medicaid.

You and your colleagues should call your U.S. Representative as soon as possible. Explain the effects of inadequate reimbursement on your business.

A vote could come at any moment. Call before the vote to give your representative the information s/he needs to represent independent community pharmacy in what could be a tiring, testy debate.

Click here to find out who your state representative and senator is, and how to reach him or her. Please let us know who you contacted and their response.

Stay tuned!