Monday, March 15, 2004

Doctors wary of Medicaid drug list (New York)
Albany Times-Union story - "With prescription drug costs driving Medicaid costs upward, this may be the year that Gov. George Pataki and state legislators, after several years of haggling, come to an agreement to create a list of 'preferred drugs' for Medicaid recipients. A panel of experts would create a list of medicines that are effective, but not too costly. The hope is that drugmakers will lower their prices to get their meds included on the Medicaid list. Most of New York's elected officials agree on those goals, but a political fight is looming over their differences. Up in the air is how difficult it will be for doctors to obtain "prior authorization" before they can prescribe an unlisted drug. And whether for some conditions like mental illness, for which it's argued that individual medicines matter, should be exempted from the list entirely..."