Medi-Cal: pharmacogenomic testing.

Existing law establishes the Medi-Cal program, which is administered by the State Department of Health Care Services and under which qualified low-income individuals receive health care services. The Medi-Cal program is, in part, governed and funded by federal Medicaid program provisions. Existing law sets forth a schedule of covered benefits under the Medi-Cal program. This bill, the Utilizing Pharmacogenomics to Greatly Reduce Adverse Drug Events (UPGRADE) Act, subject to an appropriation, would add pharmacogenomic testing as a covered benefit under Medi-Cal. The bill would define pharmacogenomic testing as laboratory genetic testing, by a laboratory with specified licensing, accreditation, and certification, to identify how a person's genetics may impact the efficacy, toxicity, and safety of medications. The bill would cover the benefit under Medi-Cal if a medication is being considered for use, or is already being administered, and is approved for use, in treating a Medi-Cal beneficiary's condition and is known to have a gene-drug or drug-drug-gene interaction that has been demonstrated to be clinically actionable, as specified, if the test is ordered by an enrolled Medi-Cal clinician or pharmacist. The bill would authorize the department to implement the above-described provisions through all-county or plan letters, or similar instructions, until the department promulgates regulations.