Healthcare (Medical Licensing)

LB 198 amends Nebraska's Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) regulations to directly affect specialty pharmacies, pharmacists, and PBMs. It prohibits PBMs from excluding accredited specialty pharmacies from their networks and bans "spread pricing" (where PBMs charge health plans different prices than they pay pharmacies for drugs). The bill also allows network pharmacists to decline to dispense a drug as prescribed and updates definitions for terms like "clinician-administered drugs" and "specialty pharmacy." These changes aim to increase transparency, protect pharmacy access, and clarify PBM obligations under state law.

This resolution proposes an interim study to examine how current regulations affect medical education and workforce development in Nebraska's rural and underserved areas. The Health and Human Services Committee will investigate barriers like licensure rules, training site availability, and recruitment challenges that limit doctors and nurses working in these communities. The study will analyze accreditation standards, clinical training access, and potential policy solutions such as educational incentives. It does not create new laws but aims to identify concrete steps to strengthen healthcare access in underserved regions. The committee will report findings and recommendations to the Legislature after completing the study.