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Published Online: 15 October 2004

Minn., Hawaii Get Go-Ahead to Join Drug-Buying Pool

Tommy G. Thompson, secretary of Health and Human Services, has approved plans to allow Minnesota and Hawaii to save money on prescription drugs by forming joint purchasing pools for their state Medicaid programs.
Annually Minnesota taxpayers will save an estimated $14 million, and Hawaii taxpayers will save an estimated $4.1 million off the price of prescription drugs the states buy through the Medicaid programs, according to state estimates.
Minnesota and Hawaii join Michigan, Vermont, New Hampshire, Alaska, and Nevada in the purchasing pool, which allows states to save money by banding together to negotiate lower prices on prescription drugs they purchase for their state Medicaid programs (Psychiatric News, September 17).
Thompson approved the plans for the five other states in April.
Also last month, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services sent letters to all state Medicaid directors providing guidance to states wishing to establish a similar pool.
States participating in the current pool maintain their own preferred drug list and exercise clinical oversight of those lists to assure adequate access to needed medicines for their beneficiaries.
A copy of the letter to state Medicaid officials on multistate drug purchasing pools is posted online at<www.cms.hhs.gov/states/letters>.

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Published online: 15 October 2004
Published in print: October 15, 2004

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