Pennsylvania’s DPW Proposes Take-Over of Medicaid MCO Pharmacy Benefits

OPEN MINDS On-Line News Strategic Health Care News On April 29, 2008, Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare (DPW) Secretary Estelle Richman told the Pennsylvania House and Senate that DPW could save the state up to $95 million per year if it managed pharmacy benefits for Medicaid beneficiaries enrolled in managed care organizations (MCOs). If DPW’s pharmacy carve-out proposal is accepted by the legislature, DPW would start managing the benefits in January 2008 in 15 counties and then expand statewide by 2011. DPW says that state management of pharmacy benefits would help the state cut costs due to . . .