Last week, NCPA staff attended the National Conference of State Legislatures' annual Legislative Summit in Boston, Mass. The summit is the largest gathering of state legislators and staff in the country.
State Rep. Steve Elkins (D-Minn.) brought two PBM-related resolutions to the NCSL Standing Committee on Health. One resolution encouraged NCSL to urge Congress to adopt bipartisan legislation to clarify that ERISA (the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974) does not preempt states from regulating PBMs as commercial health insurance companies under applicable state law. Elkins' second resolution encouraged NCSL to urge Congress to adopt bipartisan legislation to clarify that ERISA does not preempt states from requiring employer sponsors of ERISA health plans and their plan administrators to contribute health care claims data to state All Payer Claims Databases. At the bottom of a packed agenda of policy resolutions, the committee did not reach these two resolutions.
NCPA is reaching out to Elkins to offer assistance with advocating for these resolutions moving forward. Among our many legislator meetings as part of the summit, NCPA focused on connecting with pharmacists and pharmacy owners serving in state legislatures, including Rep. Tracy Marra (R-Conn.), Rep. Michelle McGraw (D-R.I.), Assemblyman John McDonald (D-N.Y.), and Sen. Ferrell Haile (R-Tenn.).
