California legislation · 2025-2026 Regular Session
California AB2571: Reimbursement for pharmacist services.
Status: Vetoed, September 27, 2026
What the bill says
An act to amend Section 1368.5 of the Health and Safety Code, to amend Section 10125.1 of the Insurance Code, and to amend Sections 14132.968 and 14132.969 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to healing arts. healing arts Reimbursement for pharmacist services. Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and under which health care services are provided to low-income individuals pursuant to a schedule of benefits. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions…
From the enrolled text, September 1, 2026:
An act to amend Section 1368.5 of the Health and Safety Code, to amend Section 10125.1 of the Insurance Code, and to amend Sections 14132.968 and 14132.969 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to healing arts. healing arts Reimbursement for pharmacist services. Existing law provides for the Medi-Cal program, administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and under which health care services are provided to low-income individuals pursuant to a schedule of benefits. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Under existing law, pharmacist services are a benefit under the Medi-Cal program, subject to federal approval, and the rate of reimbursement for pharmacist services is 85% of the fee schedule for physician services, except for medication therapy management (MTM) pharmacist services. Existing law requires the department to implement an MTM reimbursement methodology relating to the dispensing of qualified specialty drugs by an eligible contracting pharmacy, which would be intended to supplement Medi-Cal payments to eligible pharmacies for MTM pharmacist services provided in conjunction with certain specialty drug therapy categories. This bill would additionally require the rate of reimbursement for advanced pharmacist practitioner services to be no less than 85% of the fee schedule for physician services, including MTM pharmacist services. The bill would, subject to, among other things, federal approval, …