I 
113TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4577 
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure equal access 
of Medicare beneficiaries to community pharmacies in underserved areas 
as network pharmacies under Medicare prescription drug coverage, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 6, 2014 
Mr. GRIFFITH of Virginia (for himself and Mr. WELCH) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a pe-
riod to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for con-
sideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure 
equal access of Medicare beneficiaries to community 
pharmacies in underserved areas as network pharmacies 
under Medicare prescription drug coverage, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ensuring Seniors Ac-
cess to Local Pharmacies Act of 2014’’. 
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SEC. 2. ALLOWING ANY WILLING PHARMACY SERVING AN 
UNDERSERVED AREA TO BECOME A NET-
WORK PHARMACY UNDER MEDICARE PRE-
SCRIPTION DRUG COVERAGE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1860D–4(b)(1)(B) of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w–104(b)(1)(B)) is 
amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘DISCOUNTS
ALLOWED
FOR 
NETWORK
PHARMACIES.—For’’ and inserting the 
following: ‘‘DISCOUNTS
ALLOWED
FOR
NETWORK 
PHARMACIES.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—For’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new 
clause: 
‘‘(ii) INCLUSION OF PHARMACIES LO-
CATED IN UNDERSERVED AREAS IN NET-
WORKS.—In the case of a prescription 
drug plan that has, in its network of phar-
macies, one or more pharmacies located in 
a health professional shortage area (as de-
fined in section 332(a)(1)(A) of the Public 
Health Service Act), in a medically under-
served area (according to a designation 
under section 330(b)(3)(A) of the Public 
Health Service Act), or among a medically 
underserved population (as defined in such 
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section 330(b)(3)(A) of such Act), and 
that provides a reduction in coinsurance or 
copayments described in clause (i) for cov-
ered part D drugs dispensed through such 
pharmacies, such plan shall extend to any 
pharmacy located in such area or among 
such population the option to be an in-net-
work pharmacy with respect to such plan 
under terms and conditions (including the 
reductions described in clause (i)) com-
parable to those the plan has agreed upon 
with other in-network pharmacies located 
in such area or among such population.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall apply to plan years beginning on or after 
January 1, 2016. 
Æ 
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