SB133: Bill Text

LRB-1990/1

TJD:skw

2021 - 2022 LEGISLATURE

2021 Senate BILL 133

February 24, 2021 - Introduced by Senators Bewley, Agard, Carpenter, Erpenbach, Johnson, Larson, Pfaff, Ringhand, Roys, Smith and Wirch, cosponsored by Representatives Hintz, Anderson, Andraca, Baldeh, Billings, Bowen, Brostoff, Cabrera, Conley, Considine, Doyle, Drake, Emerson, Goyke, Haywood, Hebl, Hesselbein, Hong, McGuire, B. Meyers, Milroy, Moore Omokunde, L. Myers, Neubauer, Ohnstad, Ortiz-Velez, Pope, Riemer, S. Rodriguez, Shankland, Shelton, Sinicki, Snodgrass, Spreitzer, Stubbs, Subeck, Vining and Vruwink. Referred to Committee on Government Operations, Legal Review and Consumer Protection.

SB133,1,2 An Act to create 49.45 (39n) of the statutes; relating to: Medical Assistance coverage of COVID-19 testing and vaccine administration by pharmacies.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill requires Department of Health Services to ensure that vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and tests for COVID-19 that are otherwise covered and reimbursed under the Medical Assistance program are covered and reimbursed when administered by a pharmacy. DHS must certify pharmacies as Medical Assistance providers as necessary to cover and reimburse pharmacies for administering COVID-19 vaccines and tests as the bill requires. Current law requires DHS to reimburse pharmacists for administering vaccines to children if the federal Department of Health and Human Services has approved the request by DHS to amend the state's Medical Assistance plan to allow such reimbursement and if the pharmacist enrolls in the federal Vaccines for Children Program.

For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

SB133,1 Section 1 . 49.45 (39n) of the statutes is created to read:

SB133,2,7 49.45 (39n) Pharmacy reimbursement for vaccines and COVID-19 tests. The department shall ensure that any vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and any test for COVID-19, which is the infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, that are covered under this subchapter and for which reimbursement for administration is made to any provider, are covered and reimbursed when the vaccine or test is administered by a pharmacy. As necessary to comply with this subsection, the department shall certify pharmacies as providers of Medical Assistance services for the purposes of covering and reimbursing pharmacies for administering vaccines and tests described in this subsection.

SB133,2,8 (End)