(a) (1) To the extent that state and federal funds are appropriated in the annual Budget Act for these purposes, the director shall establish and may administer a program to provide drug treatments to persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the etiologic agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). If the director makes a formal determination that, in any fiscal year, funds appropriated for the program will be insufficient to provide all of those drug treatments to existing eligible persons for the fiscal year and that a suspension of the implementation of the program is necessary, the director may suspend eligibility determinations and enrollment in the program for the period of time necessary to meet the needs of existing eligible persons in the program.

(2) The director, in consultation with the AIDS Drug Assistance Program Medical Advisory Committee, shall develop, maintain, and update as necessary a list of drugs to be provided under this program. The list shall be exempt from the requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340), Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 11370), and Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code), and shall not be subject to the review and approval of the Office of Administrative Law.

(b) The director may grant funds to a county public health department through standard agreements to administer this program in that county. To maximize the recipients’ access to drugs covered by this program, the director shall urge the county health department in counties granted these funds to decentralize distribution of the drugs to the recipients.

(c) The director shall establish a rate structure for reimbursement for the cost of each drug included in the program. Rates shall not be less than the actual cost of the drug. However, the director may purchase a listed drug directly from the manufacturer and negotiate the most favorable bulk price for that drug.

(d) Manufacturers of the drugs on the list shall pay the department a rebate equal to the rebate that would be applicable to the drug under Section 1927(c) of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1396r-8(c)) plus an additional rebate to be negotiated by each manufacturer with the department, except that no rebates shall be paid to the department under this section on drugs for which the department has received a rebate under Section 1927(c) of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1396r-8(c)) or that have been purchased on behalf of county health departments or other eligible entities at discount prices made available under Section 256b of Title 42 of the United States Code.

(e) The department shall submit an invoice, not less than two times per year, to each manufacturer for the amount of the rebate required by subdivision (d).

(f) Drugs may be removed from the list for failure to pay the rebate required by subdivision (d), unless the department determines that removal of the drug from the list would cause substantial medical hardship to beneficiaries.

(g) The department may adopt emergency regulations to implement amendments to this chapter made during the 1997–98 Regular Session, in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code). The initial adoption of emergency regulations shall be deemed to be an emergency and considered by the Office of Administrative Law as necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, or general welfare. Emergency regulations adopted pursuant to this section shall remain in effect for no more than 180 days.

(h) Reimbursement under this chapter shall not be made for any drugs that are available to the recipient under any other private, state, or federal programs, or under any other contractual or legal entitlements, except that the director may authorize an exemption from this subdivision where exemption would represent a cost savings to the state.

(i) The department may also subsidize certain cost-sharing requirements for persons otherwise eligible for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) with existing non-ADAP drug coverage by paying for prescription drugs included on the ADAP formulary within the existing ADAP operational structure up to, but not exceeding, the amount of that cost-sharing obligation. This cost sharing may only be applied in circumstances in which the other payer recognizes the ADAP payment as counting toward the individual’s cost-sharing obligation. The department may subsidize, using available federal funds and moneys from the AIDS Drug Assistance Program Rebate Fund, costs associated with a health care service plan or health insurance policy, including medical copayments and deductibles for outpatient care, and premiums to purchase or maintain health insurance coverage.

(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 52, Sec. 14. (SB 97) Effective July 10, 2017.)