With the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services' (MDHHS) recent release of and stakeholder meeting on the draft Medicaid Health Plan Common Formulary for the upcoming Comprehensive Health Plan (CHP) contract, Michigan Medicaid is one step closer to implementing a common drug formulary. In their press release, the MDHHS stated:

"In order to reduce program costs and streamline drug coverage policies for Medicaid and Healthy Michigan Plan beneficiaries and providers, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has decided to pursue a formulary that is common across all contracted health plans for the next contract. A common formulary will better align coverage across health plans. The intent is to reduce interruptions in a beneficiary's drug therapy due to a change in health plan."

"The common formulary will also include certain drug utilization management tools, such as prior authorization criteria and step therapies. Health plans may be less restrictive, but not more restrictive, than the coverage parameters of the common formulary."

The MDHHS invites stakeholders to submit written comments. MSMS will be reviewing the document and preparing comments for submission by the September 8, 2015, deadline. Should you identify any issues that you believe MSMS should consider highlighting in our comments, please email them to Rebecca J. Blake at rblake@msms.org for consideration.

You may also submit written comments to the MDHHS -- Medical Services Administration directly. The MDHHS contact information is included in the Notice of Proposed Policy -- Medicaid Health Plan Common Formulary document.

It should be noted that the MDHHS's proposed common formulary will not affect drugs covered under the Fee-For-Service benefit or those currently found in Michigan's Medicaid Health Plan Carve Out for behavioral health, HIV, substance abuse, rare metabolic conditions, and outpatient clotting. To view the complete carve-out list, go to https://michigan.fhsc.com/downloads/MedicaidHealthPlanCarveout_20141024a.pdf.