Section 120955 Of Chapter 6. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (hiv) Treatment From California Health And Safety Code >> Division 105. >> Part 4. >> Chapter 6.
120955
. (a) (1) To the extent that state and federal funds are
appropriated in the annual Budget Act for these purposes, the
director shall establish and may administer a program to provide drug
treatments to persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus
(HIV), the etiologic agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
(AIDS). If the director makes a formal determination that, in any
fiscal year, funds appropriated for the program will be insufficient
to provide all of those drug treatments to existing eligible persons
for the fiscal year and that a suspension of the implementation of
the program is necessary, the director may suspend eligibility
determinations and enrollment in the program for the period of time
necessary to meet the needs of existing eligible persons in the
program.
(2) The director, in consultation with the AIDS Drug Assistance
Program Medical Advisory Committee, shall develop, maintain, and
update as necessary a list of drugs to be provided under this
program. The list shall be exempt from the requirements of the
Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section
11340), Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 11370), and Chapter 5
(commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of
the Government Code), and shall not be subject to the review and
approval of the Office of Administrative Law.
(b) The director may grant funds to a county public health
department through standard agreements to administer this program in
that county. To maximize the recipients' access to drugs covered by
this program, the director shall urge the county health department in
counties granted these funds to decentralize distribution of the
drugs to the recipients.
(c) The director shall establish a rate structure for
reimbursement for the cost of each drug included in the program.
Rates shall not be less than the actual cost of the drug. However,
the director may purchase a listed drug directly from the
manufacturer and negotiate the most favorable bulk price for that
drug.
(d) Manufacturers of the drugs on the list shall pay the
department a rebate equal to the rebate that would be applicable to
the drug under Section 1927(c) of the federal Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. Sec. 1396r-8(c)) plus an additional rebate to be negotiated
by each manufacturer with the department, except that no rebates
shall be paid to the department under this section on drugs for which
the department has received a rebate under Section 1927(c) of the
federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1396r-8(c)) or that have
been purchased on behalf of county health departments or other
eligible entities at discount prices made available under Section
256b of Title 42 of the United States Code.
(e) The department shall submit an invoice, not less than two
times per year, to each manufacturer for the amount of the rebate
required by subdivision (d).
(f) Drugs may be removed from the list for failure to pay the
rebate required by subdivision (d), unless the department determines
that removal of the drug from the list would cause substantial
medical hardship to beneficiaries.
(g) The department may adopt emergency regulations to implement
amendments to this chapter made during the 1997-98 Regular Session,
in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5
(commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of
the Government Code). The initial adoption of emergency regulations
shall be deemed to be an emergency and considered by the Office of
Administrative Law as necessary for the immediate preservation of the
public peace, health and safety, or general welfare. Emergency
regulations adopted pursuant to this section shall remain in effect
for no more than 180 days.
(h) Reimbursement under this chapter shall not be made for any
drugs that are available to the recipient under any other private,
state, or federal programs, or under any other contractual or legal
entitlements, except that the director may authorize an exemption
from this subdivision where exemption would represent a cost savings
to the state.
(i) The department may also subsidize certain cost-sharing
requirements for persons otherwise eligible for the AIDS Drug
Assistance Program (ADAP) with existing non-ADAP drug coverage by
paying for prescription drugs included on the ADAP formulary within
the existing ADAP operational structure up to, but not exceeding, the
amount of that cost-sharing obligation. This cost sharing may only
be applied in circumstances in which the other payer recognizes the
ADAP payment as counting toward the individual's cost-sharing
obligation. If the director determines that it would result in a cost
savings to the state, the department may subsidize, using available
federal funds and moneys from the AIDS Drug Assistance Program Rebate
Fund, costs associated with a health care service plan or health
insurance policy, including medical copayments and deductibles for
outpatient care, and premiums to purchase or maintain health
insurance coverage.