The Ohio Department of Medicaid on Tuesday released a heavily redacted report analyzing the costly practices of pharmacy middlemen in the $24 billion tax-funded Medicaid program.
The move comes as a Franklin County judge continues to mull over whether to order disclosure of the full, or unredacted, analysis of drug pricing, pharmaceutical rebates and other cost data.
Common Pleas Judge Jenifer French’s decision is at least three months away after she agreed to move a hearing on the matter scheduled for this week to Dec. 18.
In the meantime, French said parts of the 51-page report that are not in dispute could be released to the public.
French last month granted a temporary restraining order to block release of the full report at the request of CVS Caremark ard OptumRx — pharmacy benefit managers for Medicaid's five managed care plans — who said it contained "trade secrets" that would hurt their businesses if disclosed. They have asked French to grant an injunction permanently blocking release of the full report.
