Pharmacist Bill Back on Legislative Agenda for 2027
Senator presses for clearer language in pharmacist reimbursement bill
State Sen. Scott DeLano told a legislative interim committee the pharmacist-reimbursement measure needs tighter statutory wording before lawmakers revisit it next session.
DeLano made the comments Oct. 28 during a joint interim committee hearing on House Bill 557, which would require state-regulated insurers to pay pharmacists for clinical services already covered under their licenses. "I agree with the head, that the original text of the bill was very general and left a lot of space for interpretations," DeLano said, adding that vague language would lead to repeated insurer rejections, ongoing disputes, and costs that "eventually fall on the client's shoulder or patient through insurance premiums or personal expenses."
DeLano asked pharmacy association witnesses at the hearing to provide reimbursement data from the five other states that have passed similar laws before the committee moves the bill forward again.
The exchange reflects broader scrutiny lawmakers are applying to insurer mandates before expanding them, particularly around licensing and regulatory language. Vague statutory wording in such bills, DeLano suggested, risks becoming a hidden cost passed on to consumers rather than a clear standard for pharmacists and insurers to follow.