Bill > AB2571

This bill aims to expand the services covered and reimbursed for pharmacists, particularly advanced practice pharmacists, within California's healthcare system. For private health insurance plans and disability insurers, it requires them to pay or reimburse for services performed by an advanced practice pharmacist if they already cover similar services by other licensed providers, and changes the condition for reimbursement from "identical" to "similar" services. Within the state's Medi-Cal program, which provides health services to low-income individuals and is partly funded by the federal Medicaid program, the bill mandates that reimbursement rates for advanced practice pharmacist services, including medication therapy management (MTM) services, be equal to the fee schedule for physician services, rather than the current 85% of physician rates. MTM services, which are designed to improve patient health outcomes by managing drug therapy, will now be reimbursed to eligible advanced practice pharmacists or pharmacies for their use of certain specialty drugs. The bill also seeks federal approval to recognize pharmacists as providers at federally qualified health centers for Medi-Cal reimbursement.

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB2571