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  81R7759 PB-F
 
  By: Kolkhorst H.B. No. 4596
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to certain contracts between pharmacy benefit managers and
  the Employees Retirement System of Texas, the Teacher Retirement
  System of Texas, The Texas A&M University System, or The University
  of Texas System.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 1551, Insurance Code, is
  amended by adding Section 1551.067 to read as follows:
         Sec. 1551.067.  PHARMACY BENEFIT MANAGER CONTRACTS.  (a)  In
  awarding a contract to provide pharmacy benefit manager services
  under this chapter the board of trustees is not required to select
  the lowest bid, but must select a contract that meets the criteria
  established by this section.
         (b)  The contract must state whether the pharmacy benefit
  manager may or may not engage in therapeutic interchange by
  substituting a prescription drug with a different prescription drug
  preferred by the pharmacy benefit manager. If the contract
  authorizes therapeutic interchange as described by this
  subsection, the contract must provide that the pharmacy benefit
  manager shall maintain documentation of each instance in which
  therapeutic interchange is used.
         (c)  The contract must state that the pharmacy benefit
  manager shall disclose in writing the financial and medical reasons
  for the addition, removal, or change in placement of a prescription
  drug from the drug formulary used by the pharmacy benefit manager.  
  The disclosure required by this subsection must be made not later
  than the 30th day before the date that the addition, removal, or
  change in placement becomes effective.
         (d)  The contract must identify the specialty drugs on the
  drug formulary used by the pharmacy benefit manager and state the
  specialty drug's associated costs, discounts, and other fees that
  apply to the pharmacy benefit manager's services performed under
  the contract.
         (e)  The contract must disclose any policy, practice, or
  business relationship of the pharmacy benefit manager that could
  conflict with the performance of the pharmacy benefit manager's
  duties under the contract.
         (f)  The contract must describe cost savings initiatives
  used by the pharmacy benefit manager, including the methodology and
  data used to compute any rebate amount that the board of trustees
  receives from the pharmacy benefit manager.
         (g)  The contract must include a statement defining the
  maximum allowable cost, or MAC, price list to be used by the
  pharmacy benefit manager in performing the contract.
         (h)  The contract must identify and label the specific
  information contained in the contract that is considered
  proprietary information belonging to the pharmacy benefit manager.
         (i)  The contract must state whether the pharmacy benefit
  manager has a revenue-sharing agreement concerning the sale of data
  related to the services performed under the contract or whether the
  data can be sold by the pharmacy benefit manager.  If data may be
  sold, the contract must:
               (1)  disclose the conditions under which the pharmacy
  benefit manager may sell the data; and
               (2)  state that the pharmacy benefit manager may not
  disclose any data in connection with the sale of the data before the
  30th day after the date the pharmacy benefit manager has provided
  written notice of that sale to the board of trustees.
         (j)  The contract must state that:
               (1)  the board of trustees is entitled to audit the
  pharmacy benefit manager to verify costs and discounts associated
  with drug claims, pharmacy benefit manager compliance with contract
  requirements, and services provided by subcontractors;
               (2)  the audit must be conducted by an independent
  auditor in accordance with established auditing standards; and
               (3)  to conduct the audit, the board of trustees and the
  independent auditor are entitled access to information related to
  the services and the costs associated with the services performed
  under the contract, including access to the pharmacy benefit
  manager's facilities, records, contracts, medical records, and
  agreements with subcontractors.
         (k)  The contract must define the information that the
  pharmacy benefit manager is required to provide to the board of
  trustees concerning the audit of the retail, independent, and mail
  order pharmacies performing services under the contract and
  describe how the results of these audits must be reported to the
  board of trustees, including how often the results must be
  reported.  The contract must state whether the pharmacy benefit
  manager is required to return recovered overpayments to the board
  of trustees.
         (l)  The contract must state that any audit of a mail order
  pharmacy owned by the pharmacy benefit manager must be conducted by
  an independent auditor selected by the board of trustees in
  accordance with established auditing standards.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter C, Chapter 1575, Insurance Code, is
  amended by adding Section 1575.110 to read as follows:
         Sec. 1575.110.  PHARMACY BENEFIT MANAGER CONTRACTS.  (a)  In
  awarding a contract to provide pharmacy benefit manager services
  under this chapter the trustee is not required to select the lowest
  bid, but must select a contract that meets the criteria established
  by this section.
         (b)  The contract must state whether the pharmacy benefit
  manager may or may not engage in therapeutic interchange by
  substituting a prescription drug with a different prescription drug
  preferred by the pharmacy benefit manager. If the contract
  authorizes therapeutic interchange as described by this
  subsection, the contract must provide that the pharmacy benefit
  manager shall maintain documentation of each instance in which
  therapeutic interchange is used.
         (c)  The contract must state that the pharmacy benefit
  manager shall disclose in writing the financial and medical reasons
  for the addition, removal, or change in placement of a prescription
  drug from the drug formulary used by the pharmacy benefit manager.  
  The disclosure required by this subsection must be made not later
  than the 30th day before the date that the addition, removal, or
  change in placement becomes effective.
         (d)  The contract must identify the specialty drugs on the
  drug formulary used by the pharmacy benefit manager and state the
  specialty drug's associated costs, discounts, and other fees that
  apply to the pharmacy benefit manager's services performed under
  the contract.
         (e)  The contract must disclose any policy, practice, or
  business relationship of the pharmacy benefit manager that could
  conflict with the performance of the pharmacy benefit manager's
  duties under the contract.
         (f)  The contract must describe cost savings initiatives
  used by the pharmacy benefit manager, including the methodology and
  data used to compute any rebate amount that the trustee receives
  from the pharmacy benefit manager.
         (g)  The contract must include a statement defining the
  maximum allowable cost, or MAC, price list to be used by the
  pharmacy benefit manager in performing the contract.
         (h)  The contract must identify and label the specific
  information contained in the contract that is considered
  proprietary information belonging to the pharmacy benefit manager.
         (i)  The contract must state whether the pharmacy benefit
  manager has a revenue-sharing agreement concerning the sale of data
  related to the services performed under the contract or whether the
  data can be sold by the pharmacy benefit manager.  If data may be
  sold, the contract must:
               (1)  disclose the conditions under which the pharmacy
  benefit manager may sell the data; and
               (2)  state that the pharmacy benefit manager may not
  disclose any data in connection with the sale of the data before the
  30th day after the date the pharmacy benefit manager has provided
  written notice of that sale to the trustee.
         (j)  The contract must state that:
               (1)  the trustee is entitled to audit the pharmacy
  benefit manager to verify costs and discounts associated with drug
  claims, pharmacy benefit manager compliance with contract
  requirements, and services provided by subcontractors;
               (2)  the audit must be conducted by an independent
  auditor in accordance with established auditing standards; and
               (3)  to conduct the audit, the trustee and the
  independent auditor are entitled access to information related to
  the services and the costs associated with the services performed
  under the contract, including access to the pharmacy benefit
  manager's facilities, records, contracts, medical records, and
  agreements with subcontractors.
         (k)  The contract must define the information that the
  pharmacy benefit manager is required to provide to the trustee
  concerning the audit of the retail, independent, and mail order
  pharmacies performing services under the contract and describe how
  the results of these audits must be reported to the trustee,
  including how often the results must be reported.  The contract must
  state whether the pharmacy benefit manager is required to return
  recovered overpayments to the trustee.
         (l)  The contract must state that any audit of a mail order
  pharmacy owned by the pharmacy benefit manager must be conducted by
  an independent auditor selected by the trustee in accordance with
  established auditing standards.
         SECTION 3.  Subchapter B, Chapter 1601, Insurance Code, is
  amended by adding Section 1601.064 to read as follows:
         Sec. 1601.064.  PHARMACY BENEFIT MANAGER CONTRACTS.  (a)  In
  awarding a contract to provide pharmacy benefit manager services
  under this chapter a system is not required to select the lowest
  bid, but must select a contract that meets the criteria established
  by this section.
         (b)  The contract must state whether the pharmacy benefit
  manager may or may not engage in therapeutic interchange by
  substituting a prescription drug with a different prescription drug
  preferred by the pharmacy benefit manager. If the contract
  authorizes therapeutic interchange as described by this
  subsection, the contract must provide that the pharmacy benefit
  manager shall maintain documentation of each instance in which
  therapeutic interchange is used.
         (c)  The contract must state that the pharmacy benefit
  manager shall disclose in writing the financial and medical reasons
  for the addition, removal, or change in placement of a prescription
  drug from the drug formulary used by the pharmacy benefit manager.
  The disclosure required by this subsection must be made not later
  than the 30th day before the date that the addition, removal, or
  change in placement becomes effective.
         (d)  The contract must identify the specialty drugs on the
  drug formulary used by the pharmacy benefit manager and state the
  specialty drug's associated costs, discounts, and other fees that
  apply to the pharmacy benefit manager's services performed under
  the contract.
         (e)  The contract must disclose any policy, practice, or
  business relationship of the pharmacy benefit manager that could
  conflict with the performance of the pharmacy benefit manager's
  duties under the contract.
         (f)  The contract must describe cost savings initiatives
  used by the pharmacy benefit manager, including the methodology and
  data used to compute any rebate amount that the system receives from
  the pharmacy benefit manager.
         (g)  The contract must include a statement defining the
  maximum allowable cost, or MAC, price list to be used by the
  pharmacy benefit manager in performing the contract.
         (h)  The contract must identify and label the specific
  information contained in the contract that is considered
  proprietary information belonging to the pharmacy benefit manager.
         (i)  The contract must state whether the pharmacy benefit
  manager has a revenue-sharing agreement concerning the sale of data
  related to the services performed under the contract or whether the
  data can be sold by the pharmacy benefit manager. If data may be
  sold, the contract must:
               (1)  disclose the conditions under which the pharmacy
  benefit manager may sell the data; and
               (2)  state that the pharmacy benefit manager may not
  disclose any data in connection with the sale of the data before the
  30th day after the date the pharmacy benefit manager has provided
  written notice of that sale to the system.
         (j)  The contract must state that:
               (1)  the system is entitled to audit the pharmacy
  benefit manager to verify costs and discounts associated with drug
  claims, pharmacy benefit manager compliance with contract
  requirements, and services provided by subcontractors;
               (2)  the audit must be conducted by an independent
  auditor in accordance with established auditing standards; and
               (3)  to conduct the audit, the system and the
  independent auditor are entitled access to information related to
  the services and the costs associated with the services performed
  under the contract, including access to the pharmacy benefit
  manager's facilities, records, contracts, medical records, and
  agreements with subcontractors.
         (k)  The contract must define the information that the
  pharmacy benefit manager is required to provide to the system
  concerning the audit of the retail, independent, and mail order
  pharmacies performing services under the contract and describe how
  the results of these audits must be reported to the system,
  including how often the results must be reported.  The contract must
  state whether the pharmacy benefit manager is required to return
  recovered overpayments to the system.
         (l)  The contract must state that any audit of a mail order
  pharmacy owned by the pharmacy benefit manager must be conducted by
  an independent auditor selected by the system in accordance with
  established auditing standards.
         SECTION 4.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
  to a contract with a pharmacy benefit manager executed or renewed on
  or after the effective date of this Act.
         SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.