The 2013-2014 state budget contained a proposal to eliminate provider override of mandatory state prescription formulary as a cost savings measure. Many in the state’s NP and provider community recognized the harm that this could create for some patients with chronic health conditions and advocated for an alternative solution. The advocacy appears to have paid off as the amended 2013-14 health budget bill contains prescriber prevails for fee-for-service and prescriber prevails for atypical anti-psychotics in Medicaid Managed Care. The classes that were restored include: anti-depressants, anti-retrovirals, anti-rejection, seizure, endocrine, hematology and immunologic therapies. This will continue to be an issue to watch as the NY state budget continues in discussions.

Source: AANP E-Bulletin