Arizona has become the latest state to seek permission from the federal government to limit the number of medicines that would be covered by its state Medicaid program, which is currently required to provide coverage for all treatments.
In a Nov. 17 letter to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, state officials argued they should be allowed to use the same tools that commercial insurers rely on to contain drug costs. And they insist such a move is needed in order to preserve the larger mission of providing adequate health coverage. Massachusetts made the same request in late September.
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