Texas Insurance Code 1579.057 – Pharmacy Benefit Manager Contracts
(a) In awarding a contract to provide pharmacy benefit manager services under this chapter, the trustee is not required to select the lowest bid but must select a contract that meets the criteria established by this section.
(b) The contract must state that:
(1) the trustee is entitled to audit the pharmacy benefit manager to verify costs and discounts associated with drug claims, pharmacy benefit manager compliance with contract requirements, and services provided by subcontractors;
(2) the audit must be conducted by an independent auditor in accordance with established auditing standards; and
(3) to conduct the audit, the trustee and the independent auditor are entitled access to information related to the services and the costs associated with the services performed under the contract, including access to the pharmacy benefit manager’s facilities, records, contracts, medical records, and agreements with subcontractors.
Terms Used In Texas Insurance Code 1579.057
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
(c) The contract must define the information that the pharmacy benefit manager is required to provide to the trustee concerning the audit of the retail, independent, and mail order pharmacies performing services under the contract and describe how the results of these audits must be reported to the trustee, including how often the results must be reported. The contract must state whether the pharmacy benefit manager is required to return recovered overpayments to the trustee.
(d) The contract must state that any audit of a mail order pharmacy owned by the pharmacy benefit manager must be conducted by an independent auditor selected by the trustee in accordance with established auditing standards.