BLAIR LEE III, Acting Governor

1585

CHAPTER 437
(Senate Bill 181)

AN ACT concerning

FOR

State Medical Assistance Program —
Financial Eligibility—Drugs

the purpose of requiring that regulations of the
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene shall include

as a deduction from a person's income the anticipated

monthly cost to operate a Pharmacy Assistance Program
for certain persons whose income does not exceed a

certain level; and requiring the Pharmacy Assistance

Program to pay for all legend drugs for certain persons

except for a certain copayment for each prescription of

medicines and medical appliances; and providing for

alternative methods of establishing the anticipated
monthly cost assets and gross annual income do not

exceed__certain levels; and requiring the Pharmacy

Assistance__Program to reimburse providers for certain

prescription drugs up to a certain amount and subject
to a certain copayment.

BY adding to

Article 43 - Health

Section 42J

Annotated Code of Maryland

(1971 Replacement Volume and 1977 Supplement)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That section(s) of the Annotated Code of Maryland
be repealed, amended, or enacted to read as follows:

Article 43 -

Health

42J.

REGULATIONS ADOPTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND

MENTAL HYGIENE GOVERNING FINANCIAL ELIGIBILITY FOR THE STATE

MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM SHALL INCLUDE AS A SEDUCTION FROM

THE PERSON'S MEDICINES AND MEDICAL APPLIANCES. THE

DOCUMENTATION MAY BE PROVIDED BY A PHYSICIAN'S STATEMENT OF

NEED AND A PHARMACIST'S STATEMENT OF ANTICIPATED MONTHLY

COST OR BY OTHER REASONABLE WRITTEN OR PRINTED EVIDENCE OF

ANTICIPATED MONTHLY COST.

(A) BEGINNING JANUARY 1, 1979, THE DEPARTMENT OF

HEALTH AND MENTAL HYGIENE SHALL OPERATE A PHARMACY

ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO MEET ALL THE