New Reports Explore State Implementation of Prescription Drug Prior Authorization


States are grappling with a fiscal crisis that threatens funding for Medicaid, the federal-state partnership that provides health coverage for low-income populations. Two new studies shed light on the impact of an increasingly popular strategy – prior authorization – being used to control prescription drug spending. In fiscal year 2003, some 21 states are planning to expand or create prior authorization systems where the state must provide pre-approval before selected drugs can be dispensed to Medicaid enrollees.


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