Maine Code § 5-2042

Powers and duties of the board
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1. Prescription drug spending targets. The board has the following powers and duties. For the
purposes of this section, the term "public payor" means any division of state, county or municipal
government that administers a health plan for employees of that division of state, county or municipal
government or an association of state, county or municipal employers that administers a health plan for
its employees, except for the MaineCare program. The board shall:
A. Beginning for the year 2021 and in consultation with the advisory council established under
section 2041, subsection 10, determine annual spending targets for prescription drugs purchased by
public payors based upon a 10-year rolling average of the medical care services component of the
United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index medical care
services index plus a reasonable percentage for inflation and minus a spending target determined
by the board for pharmacy savings; [PL 2021, c. 293, Pt. A, §5 (RPR).]
B. Determine spending targets on specific prescription drugs that may cause affordability
challenges to enrollees in a public payor health plan; and [PL 2021, c. 293, Pt. A, §5 (RPR).]
C. Determine which public payors are likely to exceed the spending targets determined under
paragraph A. [PL 2021, c. 293, Pt. A, §5 (RPR).]
[PL 2021, c. 293, Pt. A, §5 (RPR).]

2. Prescription drug spending data. The board may consider the following data to accomplish
its duties under this section:
A. A public payor's prescription drug spending data, which the 3rd-party administrator or insurer
for the public payor's health plan shall provide to the board on behalf of the public payor upon
request notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, including:
(1) Expenditures and utilization data for prescription drugs for each plan offered by a public
payor;
(2) The formulary for each plan offered by a public payor and prescription drugs common to
each formulary;
(3) Pharmacy benefit management services and other administrative expenses of the
prescription drug benefit for each plan offered by a public payor; and
(4) Enrollee cost sharing for each plan offered by a public payor; and [PL 2021, c. 293, Pt.
A, §5 (RPR).]
B. Data compiled by the Maine Health Data Organization under Title 22, chapter 1683. [PL 2021,
c. 293, Pt. A, §5 (RPR).]
Prescription drug spending data provided to the board under this subsection is confidential to the same
extent it is confidential while in the custody of the entity that provided the data to the board.
[PL 2021, c. 293, Pt. A, §5 (RPR).]
3. Recommendations. Based upon the prescription drug spending data received under subsection
2, the board, in consultation with a representative of each public payor identified under subsection 1,
paragraph A, shall determine methods for the public payor to meet the spending targets established
under subsection 1. The board shall determine whether the following methods reduce costs to
individuals purchasing prescription drugs through a public payor and allow public payors to meet the
spending targets established under subsection 1:
A. Negotiating specific rebate amounts on the prescription drugs that contribute most to spending
that exceeds the spending targets; [PL 2021, c. 293, Pt. A, §5 (RPR).]
B. Changing a formulary when sufficient rebates cannot be secured under paragraph A; [PL 2021,
c. 293, Pt. A, §5 (RPR).]
C. Changing a formulary with respect to all of the prescription drugs of a manufacturer within a
formulary when sufficient rebates cannot be secured under paragraph A; [PL 2021, c. 293, Pt.
A, §5 (RPR).]
D. Establishing a common prescription drug formulary for all public payors; [PL 2021, c. 293,
Pt. A, §5 (RPR).]
E. Prohibiting health insurance carriers in the State from offering on their formularies a prescription
drug or any of the prescription drugs manufactured by a particular manufacturer when the methods
described in paragraph B or C are implemented; [PL 2021, c. 293, Pt. A, §5 (RPR).]
F. Purchasing prescription drugs in bulk or through a single purchasing agreement for use among
public payors; [PL 2021, c. 293, Pt. A, §5 (RPR).]
G. Collaborating with other states and state prescription drug purchasing consortia to purchase
prescription drugs in bulk or to jointly negotiate rebates; [PL 2021, c. 293, Pt. A, §5 (RPR).]
H. Allowing health insurance carriers providing coverage to small businesses and individuals in
the State to participate in the public payor prescription drug benefit for a fee; [PL 2021, c. 293,
Pt. A, §5 (RPR).]

I. Procuring common expert services for public payors, including but not limited to pharmacy
benefit management services and actuarial services; and [PL 2021, c. 293, Pt. A, §5 (RPR).]
J. Any other method the board may determine. [PL 2021, c. 293, Pt. A, §5 (RPR).]
[PL 2021, c. 293, Pt. A, §5 (RPR).]
4. Report. The board shall report its recommendations, including prescription drug spending
targets, and the progress of implementing those recommendations to the joint standing committee of
the Legislature having jurisdiction over health coverage and insurance matters no later than October 1,
2020 and on January 30th annually thereafter. The joint standing committee may report out legislation
based upon the report.
[PL 2021, c. 293, Pt. A, §5 (RPR).]

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