MissouriNet: Missouri panels to study long-term care & veterans homes, utility ratemaking, state pharmacy aid costs
The state Senate is launching committees that will study three issues in the months before the new General Assembly convenes in January.
Senate President Pro-Tem Ron Richard (photo; Mike Lear, Missourinet)
Senate President Ron Richard (R-Joplin) told Missourinet he signed Wednesday letters authorizing those committees. They will look for ways to lower the cost of pharmaceuticals in the state’s Medicaid program; ways to improve care in long-term care facilities and to address the needs of Missouri veterans waiting to get into veterans homes; and utilities regulatory issues.
The cost to Medicaid of pharmaceutical aid was a key issue as the legislature put together a budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1. Senate budget leaders said Medicaid pharmacy spending doubled from about $980-million five years ago to $1.8-billion.
The Department of Health told legislative budget makers it has some ways to cut costs but Richard says more will be needed.
“We’re going to have to figure out how we can trim those costs and make sure that we’re getting a good bang for the buck,” said Richard. “We need to be in that game and figure out what we can do to get the cost down so we can enhance benefits.”
Richard said if those costs aren’t reined in, funding for other state-backed programs such as education and prisons would suffer.
That committee will be chaired by Senator David Sater (R-Cassville), a pharmacist and member of the Senate Budget Committee.
