SB 8

This bill requires the Department of Health Services to obtain any waiver of

federal Medicaid laws necessary to continue administration of SeniorCare and to

implement any waiver received for the administration of SeniorCare. The bill also

requires that any general purpose revenue moneys remaining after paying

pharmacies and pharmacists, any program revenue moneys remaining after paying

pharmacies and pharmacists and paying for program administration, and any

federal moneys remaining be used by DHS for the following purposes: to reduce

enrollment costs for seniors participating in SeniorCare, to reduce the prices paid by

SeniorCare enrollees for prescription drugs, and to enlarge the number of

prescription drugs available through the SeniorCare program.

Under current law, DHS administers the SeniorCare program, which provides

assistance to the elderly in the purchase of prescription drugs. The program is

operated under a waiver of federal Medicaid laws, but DHS is required to implement

the program regardless of whether the waiver is received from the federal

Department of Health and Human Services. Some of the moneys to administer the

SeniorCare program derive from the federal government and other moneys come

from the state's GPR or from PR. Moneys from GPR are used to pay pharmacies and

pharmacists under the SeniorCare program. PR from rebate payments by

manufacturers is used to pay pharmacies and pharmacists and PR from payment of

enrollment fees is used for administration of SeniorCare.