Section 17B:27F-4 - Process for appeals, investigation and disputeAll contracts between a pharmacy benefits manager and a pharmacy services administrative organization, or its contracted pharmacies, and all contracts directly between a pharmacy benefits manager and a pharmacy shall include a process to appeal, investigate, and resolve disputes regarding brand andmultiple source generic drug pricing, including, if applicable, brand effective rate, generic effective rate, dispensing fee effective rate, and any other pricing formula for pharmacy reimbursement. The contract provision establishing the process shall include the following:
a. The right to appeal shall be limited to 14 calendar days following the initial claim;b. The appeal shall be investigated and resolved by the pharmacy benefits manager through an internal process within 14 calendar days of receipt of the appeal by the pharmacy benefits manager;c. A telephone number at which a pharmacy services administrative organization, or a pharmacy may contact the pharmacy benefits manager and speak with an individual who is involved in the appeals process; andd.(1) If the appeal is denied, the pharmacy benefits manager shall: (a) provide the reason for the denial to the pharmacy services administrative organization and its contracted pharmacies, and the pharmacy services administrative organization shall inform its contracted pharmacies of the availability, location and pricing of the appealed drug in the State;(b) provide the reason for the denial directly to a pharmacy, if it contracts directly with a pharmacy benefits manager;(c) identify the national drug code of a drug product that is available for purchase by the specific contracted pharmacy appealing the claim in this State from wholesalers registered pursuant to P.L. 1961, c.52 (C.24:6B-1 et seq.) at a price which is available to the specific contracted pharmacy appealing the claim and which is equal to or less than the maximum allowable cost or the brand effective rate, generic effective rate or other pricing for the appealed drug as determined by the pharmacy benefits manager; and(d) provide the name of wholesalers registered under P.L. 1961, c.52 (C.24:6B-1 et seq.) from which the appealing pharmacy can obtain the brand or multiple source generic drug at or below the brand effective rate, generic effective rate, dispensing fee effective rate, maximum allowable cost or any other pricing formula for pharmacy reimbursement;(2) If the appeal is approved, the pharmacy benefits manager shall make the price correction, permit the reporting pharmacy to reverse and rebill the appealed claim, and make the price correction effective for all similarly situated pharmacies from the date of the approved appeal.e. A pharmacy benefits manager shall not terminate a pharmacy licensed in the State of New Jersey solely on the basis that the pharmacy offers and provides store direct delivery and mail prescriptions to an insured as an ancillary service.Amended by L. 2019, c. 274, s. 4, eff. 3/18/2020.Added by L. 2015, c. 179,s. 4, eff. 4/10/2016.