Gov. Asa Hutchinson said this afternoon he backed putting pharmacy reimbursement managers under Insurance Department regulation to address pharmacists’ complaints about money-losing reimbursements for prescriptions filled under the Medicaid expansion health coverage provided by private insurers.

He said he’d put that proposal on a special session call, as legislative leaders had suggested, along with at least one other housekeeping item to preserve use of a $12 million in categorial federal highway funding for general use. This presumes a consensus exists to pass the proposal quickly.

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Working out a deal with pharmacists should at least allow passage of most parts of the governor’s budget in the regular budget session. Will it provide what’s needed to continue the Medicaid expansion money budgeted in Human Services?

Benji Hardy has more to report

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Guns will not be on the special session agenda, Hutchinson said. As if …

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