On November 25, 2008, CMS published a final rule on Medicaid premiums and cost sharing to implement requirements of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 and the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006. Among other things, the legislation provided state Medicaid agencies with increased flexibility to impose premium and cost sharing requirements on certain Medicaid recipients, including drug cost sharing requirements designed to encourage the use of preferred drugs and to allow higher cost-sharing for non-emergency care furnished in a hospital emergency department. The rule is effective 60 days after publication.