1-1 By: Zaffirini, Moncrief S.C.R. No. 56 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed February 16, 1995; February 16, 1995, 1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Health and Human 1-4 Services; March 16, 1995, reported favorably by the following vote: 1-5 Yeas 9, Nays 0; March 16, 1995, sent to printer.) 1-6 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-7 WHEREAS, In its report to the 74th Texas Legislature, the 1-8 Senate Health and Human Services Committee concluded that 1-9 significant benefits would accrue if a Medicaid managed care 1-10 program were established statewide, and the committee recommended 1-11 further that the current Vendor Drug Program, with additional cost 1-12 containment measures, be retained in any managed care system; and 1-13 WHEREAS, The Vendor Drug Program at the Texas Department of 1-14 Health currently processes claims for Medicaid prescription drugs 1-15 directly on a fee-for-service basis, and recent evaluations have 1-16 concluded that the program has done a very good job in implementing 1-17 a variety of prescription drug benefit management techniques; and 1-18 WHEREAS, The program is a known process that is compatible 1-19 with managed care, and retaining the program will allow the state 1-20 to build on existing successes, keep its rebates, and ensure a 1-21 consistent pharmacy benefit policy for all Medicaid clients; and 1-22 WHEREAS, Limited cost containment measures were additionally 1-23 recommended by the committee to make the program even more 1-24 efficient; these measures included computer-based rebate 1-25 monitoring, which will allow the program to monitor rebate billing 1-26 on-line, and prospective drug utilization, which will allow a 1-27 dispensing pharmacist to be warned of other medications that the 1-28 patient is taking that may cause harmful interactions; now, 1-29 therefore, be it 1-30 RESOLVED, That the 74th Legislature of the State of Texas 1-31 hereby direct the State Medicaid Office, in implementing managed 1-32 care, to continue to administer the prescription drug benefit under 1-33 the state Vendor Drug Program; and, be it further 1-34 RESOLVED, That the State Medicaid Office accelerate the 1-35 implementation of computer-based rebate monitoring and prospective 1-36 drug utilization review; and, be it further 1-37 RESOLVED, That savings realized from this directive be 1-38 committed to raising or eliminating the three-prescription limit 1-39 and reducing costs in other Medicaid line items; and, be it further 1-40 RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official 1-41 copy of this resolution to the State Medicaid Office. 1-42 * * * * *