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The governor of Montana has asked for federal permission to sell cheaper prescription drugs in his state through the federal Medicaid program.
He said he got a copy of a highly confidential Medicaid drug price list by getting his chief of staff to sign a nondisclosure agreement that is usually handled at the state agency level. Schweitzer said it is obviously unfair to charge one group of people far less than another group of people for the same product.
He said his plan would cost the government nothing - and could even save it money because it would open up the doors for government-subsidized Medicare patients to buy-in at the cheaper Medicaid rate.
"It doesn't cost the citizens of Montana a dime, and it doesn't cost the federal government a dime," said Schweitzer.
He is seeking a waiver from Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to allow the unique prescription drug program in Montana. The waiver program is complex, and the application lengthy. Schweitzer said it could take months, or longer, to get an answer.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who oversees the centers, told him she was "intrigued" by the idea, he added. CMMS didn't immediately return a call Tuesday seeking comment on the proposal.
"I don't think we are going to get turned down," Schweitzer said.
I'm gonna take a wild guess, and predict that the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America will be opposed to the plan.He called the drug industry "full of crap" for arguing that the medicine bought in Canada isn't safe for consumption in the United States.
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, which represents the medical drug industry, declined to comment on his newest proposal until it could look into the plan.
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