Commissioner of human services direction to establish a prescription drug purchasing program

SF 3131 directs Minnesota's Commissioner of Human Services to establish a prescription drug purchasing program for medical assistance and MinnesotaCare enrollees (approximately 600,000 Minnesotans). The program requires the commissioner to negotiate lower drug prices with manufacturers, create a preferred drug list, and manage prescription benefit services to reduce costs for participants. Key provisions include mandatory price negotiations, enrollment of participating pharmacies, and a requirement to seek federal approval before implementation. The program must be fully operational by January 1, 2027, and the commissioner must submit expansion recommendations for additional health plan coverage by December 2027.