CONTACTS NEEDED IN WASHINGTON!!!!!!!!

Three bills have been introduced in Washington that are very important to independent pharmacy and APCI needs your help to encourage your members of Congress and U.S. Senators to support and sign-on as co-sponsors.  The following bills need to have the entire delegations from APCI member states on as co-sponsors:

• H.R. 244 – “MAC Transparency Act” by Representatives Collins (R-GA) and Loebsack (R-IA) : This bill addresses concerns regarding the updating of drug prices every seven (7) days, and allow pharmacist to know source of price update information. H.R. 244 applies to Medicare Part D, TRICARE and Federal Employees Plans.
• H.R. 793 – “Ensuring Seniors Access to Local Pharmacies Act of 2015” by Representatives Griffith (R-VA) and Welch (D-VT) : This will allow independent pharmacies to at least try and participate in Part D preferred networks located in a health professional shortage area or a medically underserved area if the pharmacies can meet comparable terms and conditions that other in-network providers have operated under in the past
• H.R 592 and SB. 314 – Recognizing Pharmacists as Providers in Social Security Act by Representatives Guthrie (R-KY), Butterfield (D-NC), Kind (D-WI), and Young (R-IN). SB 314 by Sen’s Grassley (R-IA), Kirk (R-IL), Casey (D-PA), and Brown (D-OH): This bill will enable patient access to, and payment for, Medicare Part B services by state-licensed pharmacists in medically underserved communities.

It is very important that you take the small amount of time to call your U.S. House member and two U.S. Senators and ask that they support and sign on as co-sponsors to these very important pieces of legislation. Remember only contact your two U.S. Senators office on SB 314.

If you do not know who your U.S. Representative or Senators are, go to: www.opencongress.org/people/zipcodelookup, then put in your zip code for your residence and your pharmacy location because you could have additional contacts. One-page summaries of each bill are listed below this article.

It is imperative that your U.S. Representative and two U.S. Senators hear from you, your staff and patients regarding these issues. Also, let them know where your pharmacy is located, number of employees, how long you have been in business and around how patients you serve.

Please download the information sheets on these bills. The files are listed below.

MAKE YOUR CALLS TODAY!!!!!