Governor moves to boost California's drug price bargaining power

CMS has yet to weigh in on whether California can move forward with new Gov. Gavin Newsom's plan to consolidate the state's Medicaid pharmacy services, which could require a waiver.

Newsom issued an executive order Monday, the day he was sworn in, that directs California's Department of Health Care Services to negotiate pricing and purchasing of drugs on behalf of all state Medicaid beneficiaries. Newsom said in a statement that the policy would increase the state pool to 13 million Medicaid beneficiaries, from 2 million currently. The executive order also seeks to expand Medicaid coverage to include all eligible undocumented young adults...