Maine looks to Wyeth for reimbursement

The state of Maine is joining 16 other states in filing a suit against Wyeth. According to the law suit, Wyeth has avoided paying the states their Medicaid reimbursements for the antacid drug Protonix.

According to the article:
Between 2001 and 2006, Wyeth offered discounted prices to thousands of hospitals in the country but did not report those discounts or pass along the benefits of lower prices to state Medicaid programs.

The US District Court of Massachusetts is looking at this law suit in addition to a second. Read the full article here.

Join Us Next Week's Medicaid Managed Care Congress

The 18th Annual Medicaid Managed Care Congress which is taking place next week, May 17-19 in Baltimore, Maryland.

States and Plans Bending the Cost Curve Together Through Improved Quality, Operational Efficiency and Health IT Implementation. Join us and these companies at the Medicaid Managed Care Congress:
AARP * Alabama Children's Health Insurance Program * AmeriHealth Mercy * Aquarius Capital * Arizona Cost Containment System * Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care * Association for Community Affiliated Plans * Availity LLC * Avenir * Avesis Inc * Blue Care Network of Michigan * BMC Healthnet Plan * Bristol Myers Squibb * Broadthinking LLC * Brookings Institution * CalOptima * Care Management Technologies * CareSource * Centene Corporation * Children's Mercy Family Health Partners * ClearStone Solutions * Community Health Choice Inc * Cook Children's Health Plan * Council of State Governments * Data Niche Associates * DCA Solutions * Department of Health & Human Services * Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Department of Public Welfare Bureau * DMEnsion Benefit Management * Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield * Fallon Community Health Plan * Family Health Network * Forest Laboratories Inc * Genzyme Corporation * Government & External Affairs * Health Integrated Inc * Health Management Associates * Health Partners * Health Plan of San Mateo * HealthLeaders InterStudy * HM Strategies * HMS Permedion * Horizon New Jersey Health * Hudson Health Plan * Inspiris * Keystone Mercy Health Plan * Liberty Resources Inc * Mathematica Policy Research Inc * Maxim Health Services * Maximus Inc * MDwise Inc * Medicaid Health Plans of America * Medical Transportation Management * MedSolutions *
Merck & Company Inc * Metropolitan Jewish Health System * Molina Healthcare of Michigan * Molina Healthcare of Ohio Inc * Monroe Plan for Medical Care * Montgomery County Dept of Health & Human Services * Montgomery County Government * National Conference of State Legislature * NCQA * Neighborhood Health Plan of Massachusetts * Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island * New York State Dept of Health * New Hampshire Dept of Health & Human Services * Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation * Nurse Response * Opticare Managed Vision
Optimetra Inc * Oregon Evidence-Based Practice Center * Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare * PerformRx * Plasma Protein Therapeutics Associates * Preferred Care Partners * Prestige * RI Department of Human Services * SC Department of Health & Human Services * Sellers Dorsey * South Carolina Department of Health & Human Services * State of Indiana * State of Maryland Medicaid * Superior Healthplan Inc * Tejashrri Intermediateries Pvt Ltd * Texas Health & Human Services * The HSC Foundation * TMG Health Inc * UCare Minnesota * UnitedHealth Group * US Script * Virginia Premier Health Plan * Walgreens * WellCare Health Plans Inc * Wellpoint *

Visit the webpage to find out more about this year's event.

Mark McClellan to Keynote the 15th Annual MDRP Summit

We're excited to announce that Dr. Mark McClellan will a keynote presenter at this September's Medicaid Drug Rebate Program.

As the Chief of Medicare/Medicaid Services, Dr. Mark McClellan led the agency through the most important Medicaid reforms in the program’s 40-year history. In a compelling presentation offering possible solutions to the Medicaid crisis, McClellan reviews how states’ respond, while providing innovative approaches to dispensing Medicaid benefits, including expansions of coverage, providing “dual-eligible” (Medicare and Medicaid) coverage and long-term care reforms.

The Medicaid Drug Rebate Program will be taking place September 15-17, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. For more information on Mark McClellan and the other speakers at MDRP, visit our webpage.

Obama looks at healthcare reform

This past Saturday, Obama released a video on YouTube that helps explain the new initiatives that his healthcare reform has help put into place. He sums up simply what are some of the effective changes that he has put into place to help the American people have better health reform.

Keynote Vikki Wachino, Director, Family and Children’s Health Programs, CMS to Address Medicaid Managed Care Congress Attendees

Announcing Keynote Presentation by:
Vikki Wachino, Director, Family And Children's Health Programs Group Center For Medicare & Medicaid Services

May 18th, 2010 at 8:45AM - CMS Keynote Address
What’s Next CMS?
CMS Update on Federal Regulations and the CMS Vision for Medicaid Under Healthcare Reform

Vikki Wachino is Director of Family and Children’s Health Programs at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She oversees CMS’ work on coverage for children and parents through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. This includes implementation of the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act, as well as policies relating to Medicaid and CHIP eligibility, enrollment, outreach, benefits, access, and quality. You cannot afford to miss this featured CMS keynote address that will give you an inside look on:
• Current initiatives underway in MMC
• Overview of pending Medicaid regulations
• State waiver trends and approvals
• Strategies to improve State and Federal relationship around Medicaid
• SNP contracting requirements and how states are working with SNPs to provide Medicaid services

Vikki Wachino, Director, Family and Children’s Health Programs Group, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CMS

The Medicaid Managed Care Congress has been called the meeting place designed to help you connect and learn from state and plan professionals from all 50 States. Click here to register today!