Alabama Medicaid Agency
Myers and Stauffer, a certified public accounting firm that provides professional accounting, consulting, data management, and analysis services to government-sponsored health care programs, is a contractor for the Alabama Medicaid Agency. This website provides information on Alabama’s average acquisition cost list for the Medicaid pharmacy program.
Important Contact Information
Pharmacy
Help Desk Line: 800.591.1183
Email: ALPharmacy@mslc.com
Click here for administrative log in.
Cost Report and Web Portal
Cost Report Template Line: 800.877.6927
Web Portal Line: 800.374.6858
Email: ALCR@mslc.com
Average Acquisition Cost (AAC) List
The Alabama Medicaid Agency has contracted with Myers and Stauffer to provide assistance in establishing and maintaining the AAC list for drugs based on drug acquisition cost. As new AAC rates are developed, the rates will be posted on this website prior to implementation. Please check this site regularly for changes to the AAC list.
If you have trouble opening or downloading the files listed below, please contact Myers and Stauffer at 800.591.1183 and ask for the Alabama pharmacy unit.
Information and materials on the site may not be published or used except as provided under these terms and conditions or as otherwise noted on the site without the written permission of the State of Alabama, Alabama Medicaid Agency, and/or Myers and Stauffer LC.
Average Acquisition Cost Lists
AAC Rate Review
Below you will find helpful documents for the AAC rate review process. If you would like to submit your rate review online, use the link at the right. Otherwise, the form is available to download below.
Submit Your Rate Request Online
Alabama Nursing Facility Cost Report and Web Portal
The Alabama Medicaid Agency has contracted with Myers and Stauffer to develop and distribute an electronic Nursing Facility cost report, and web portal for submission of the cost report. Below you will find the Nursing Facility Cost Report and Home Office Cost Report templates, as well as helpful files for the web portal.
If you have trouble opening or downloading the Cost Report Templates below, please contact Myers and Stauffer at 800.877.6927 and ask for the Alabama Nursing Facility Cost Report team.
If you have questions about or trouble with the web portal, please contact Myers and Stauffer at 800.374.6858 and ask for the Alabama Nursing Facility Web Portal team, or reach out to ALCR@mslc.com.
If you have questions regarding allowable costs or cost reporting, please email ProviderAudit@medicaid.alabama.gov.
Information and materials on the site may not be published or used except as provided under these terms and conditions or as otherwise noted on the site without the written permission of the State of Alabama, Alabama Medicaid Agency, and/or Myers and Stauffer LC.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an average acquisition cost (AAC) rate schedule?
Average acquisition cost (AAC) rate schedules are based on the premise that chemically-equivalent drug products in the same strength and dosage should be reimbursed similarly. AAC rates are designed to maximize the cost-effectiveness of pharmacy services by setting reimbursement amounts for therapeutically-equivalent drug products at the same price, based on the cost of the products. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) uses this same premise to establish federal upper limits (FULs) for drug products. AAC rates are essentially the state Medicaid program version of CMS FULs.
Why might Alabama Medicaid request information about my pharmacy’s drug purchases?
In order to maintain an AAC program with reimbursement that reflects current pharmaceutical market conditions, the AAC rate schedule is based on the actual acquisition costs of Medicaid pharmacy providers. The calculated rates are designed to reimburse ingredient costs, considering the prices pharmacies must pay in order to acquire the selected drugs and pharmacies’ need for flexibility in the acquisition of proper drugs to fill prescriptions.
Why should I send information about my pharmacy’s drug purchases to Alabama Medicaid, if requested to do so?
The AAC rate schedule is based on Medicaid pharmacy providers’ actual experiences purchasing selected drug products. Providers who receive requests for drug purchase information are required by ALMA to provide the requested information to insure that the established AAC rates fully consider providers’ cost experience in the marketplace.
What are the acceptable methods to transmit my drug purchase information?
For drug purchases made during the identified time period requested by the Alabama Medicaid Agency (ALMA), providers can simply retrieve the invoices reflecting their purchases, photocopy the records, then mail the copies to Myers and Stauffer. A provider can also provide this data via email in an electronic format. Electronic files can be accepted in Excel format, or as tab-delimited or pipe-delimited text files. The following outlines the electronic file layout:
| Field | Data Type | Length |
| Pharmacy_ID | Text | 15 characters, variable length |
| Pharmacy_Name | Text | 100 characters, variable length |
| Invoice_Date | Date | 10 characters (mm/dd/yyyy) |
| NDC_CODE | Text | 11 characters, fixed length |
| Item_Number | Text | 10 characters, variable length |
| Item_Description | Text | 100 characters, variable length |
| Package_Size | Text | 75 characters, variable length |
| Net_Quantity | Integer | Whole number (15 digits, no decimals) |
| Unit_Of_Measure | Text | 25 characters, variable length |
| Unit_Cost | Decimal | 000000000000000.00000 (15 digits, 5 decimal places) |
| Net_Extended_Cost | Decimal | 000000000000000.00000 (15 digits, 5 decimal places) |
What will Alabama Medicaid do with drug purchase information it receives from me?
The Alabama Medicaid Agency (ALMA) will use drug purchase information submitted by pharmacies for the purpose of establishing, evaluating, maintaining, and updating an AAC rate schedule. The ALMA has contracted with the firm of Myers and Stauffer to assist in developing and maintaining the AAC. Pharmacies are encouraged to submit copies of purchase information, rather than originals as information submitted will not be returned.
Why might my pharmacy be selected to provide drug purchase information?
All pharmacy providers enrolled in the Alabama Medicaid Agency program are eligible for random selection to provide drug purchase information to the ALMA and Myers and Stauffer.
How often might I be asked to provide drug purchase information?
All pharmacy providers enrolled in the Alabama Medicaid program are eligible for selection to provide drug purchase information. Periodically, Myers and Stauffer will request purchase information from a sample of identified pharmacy providers. It is not anticipated that any pharmacy location will be selected more frequently than once every two years.
For what time period would my drug purchase information be requested?
All pharmacy providers enrolled in the Alabama Medicaid program are eligible for selection to provide drug purchase information. When a request is received for drug purchase information, the time frame of the data will be requested for the most recent 30 day period. If that drug purchase information for the most recent 30 day period is not readily available, then the next most recent 30 day period will be acceptable.
How will the AAC rate schedule be updated? How do I report concerns about product prices or product availability?
The Alabama Medicaid Agency (ALMA) recognizes that changes in pharmaceutical prices and product availability occur on a regular basis. In addition, the ALMA recognizes that the most current, and reliable information regarding changes in acquisition cost and product availability will be provided by pharmacies. The ALMA will obtain and review industry data, such as published pricing information, and information provided by Alabama pharmacies to frequently assess the AAC program and to insure that AAC rates reflect current pharmaceutical market conditions. To respond to changes in the pharmaceutical market that may impact the price and/or availability of drug products, adjustments to the AAC program will be made periodically as needed.
Providers may also request that the ALMA review AAC prices for particular drugs. Providers who wish the ALMA to consider adjustments to AAC rates may make such a request by contacting Myers and Stauffer in writing by e-mail, regular mail, fax, or toll free telephone. When making such a request, providers will be asked to provide as much information as possible to assist the ALMA and Myers and Stauffer in understanding the specific issue being raised and the provider’s desired outcome. Helpful information should include but not be limited to drug purchase summaries, invoices, remittance advices, and other such documentation. In the absence of sufficient information to assess concerns about AAC rates or other aspects of the AAC program, provider requests cannot be fully considered. Providers initiating requests for review of AAC rates or other issues may be contacted to request supporting documentation or other information.
How often will the AAC rate schedule on the Myers and Stauffer Alabama pharmacy website be updated?
The AAC rate schedule will be updated as necessary as changes are made to the AAC rates for any drug. The updated AAC rate schedule will be posted along with the effective date of the change.
Who may I contact with questions regarding this initiative?
We welcome provider’s questions, comments, and input regarding the AAC program and AAC rate schedule. To share general comments or to request information regarding the AAC rate schedule, you may contact the Myers and Stauffer Pharmacy Unit.
Providers are encouraged to contact the Myers and Stauffer Pharmacy Unit to discuss:
- Changes in acquisition cost of a drug.
- Changes in product availability.
- Questions regarding AAC rates.
- Questions concerning drugs on the AAC rate list.
- How to obtain a copy of the AAC rate list.
Contact Myers and Stauffer by Telephone, Fax, Mail, or Email
Parties who wish to comment or discuss questions, comments, or concerns about the AAC program may contact Myers and Stauffer weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (Central Time) as follows:
Myers and Stauffer LC
Pharmacy Unit
800 East 96th Street, Suite 200
Indianapolis, IN 46240
Phone: 800-591-1183
Fax: 317-571-8481
Email: alpharmacy@mslc.com
Contact Myers and Stauffer Online
Comments or questions may be forwarded to Myers and Stauffer via the Internet at any time by visiting www.myersandstauffer.com/. This Internet site has been developed exclusively to support the Alabama Medicaid AAC program. On this site providers will find the AAC rate schedule and updates, news and information, and online forms to send questions and comments to Myers and Stauffer.
