Ensuring Seniors Access to Local Pharmacies Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-1190
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-WV]
Introduced: 2015-05-05
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Health care costs and insurance

Medicare

Prescription drugs

Retail and wholesale trades
Latest action: action_date: 2015-05-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Summaries:
action_date: 2015-05-05
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Ensuring Seniors Access to Local Pharmacies Act of 2015 </b></p> <p>Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct any prescription drug plan that has in its network one or more pharmacies located in a health professional shortage area, in a medically underserved area, or among a medically underserved population, and that provides a reduction in coinsurance or copayments for covered part D drugs, to extend to any pharmacy located in that area, or among that population, the option to be an in-network pharmacy under terms and conditions comparable to those the plan has agreed upon with other in-network pharmacies located in the area or among that population. </p>

tv_txt: II 114th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1190 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 5, 2015 Mrs. Capito (for herself, Mr. Manchin , Mr. Cotton , and Mr. Brown ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance 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.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Ensuring Seniors Access to Local Pharmacies Act of 2015 . 2. Allowing any willing pharmacy serving an underserved area to become a network pharmacy under medicare prescription 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 located in underserved areas in networks In the case of a prescription drug plan that has, in its network of pharmacies, one or more pharmacies located in a health professional shortage area (as defined in section 332(a)(1)(A) of the Public Health Service Act), in a medically underserved 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 section 330(b)(3)(A) of such Act), and that provides a reduction in coinsurance or copayments described in clause (i) for covered 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-network pharmacy with respect to such plan under terms and conditions (including the reductions described in clause (i)) comparable 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.