Pharmacies; freedom of choice by covered individual.

Pharmacies; freedom of choice. Requiresthat no carrier, health maintenance organization, or pharmacy benefitsmanager shall prohibit a covered individual from selecting the pharmacy of his choice to furnish retail, mail order, or specialty pharmaceuticalbenefits under the covered individual's policy. The bill providesthat no pharmacy that meets the terms and conditions of participationshall be precluded from obtaining a direct service agreement or participatingprovider agreement and that any request for such agreement by a pharmacyshall be acted upon by a carrier, health maintenance organization,or pharmacy benefits manager within 30 days of receiving the request.Under current law, some of these requirements apply to health maintenanceorganizations; those requirements are expanded in the bill.