Access to Pharmacists' Care
HOPA supports initiatives that advance the role of the hematology/oncology pharmacist, as we strive to reach our goal of having a hematology/oncology pharmacist involved with the care of all individuals affected by cancer. We believe that pharmacists are an essential component of patient care and deserve to be recognized as such by all payers, regardless of the payment structure.
Patient Access to Pharmacists’ Care Coalition
HOPA is a member of the PAPCC which is focused on enhancing access to care for patients living in underserved and disadvantaged communities by enabling Medicare to reimburse pharmacists for providing Part B services delivered to beneficiaries living in medically underserved communities.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of services would be covered?
Services would be Part B or non-hospital administered services that Medicare already covers and already reimburses physicians and other providers, like Nurse Practitioners and Physicians’ Assistants, to deliver. Common examples would include administering vaccinations, helping patients manage their chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and asthma, conducting wellness or prevention testing and educating patients on their medications to drive greater adherence to prescribed treatments.
What are these communities and populations?
Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) and Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs) are designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. MUAs and MUPs are designated for having too few primary care providers, high rates of infant mortality, high poverty rates and/or high elderly populations. HPSAs are identified for having a shortage of primary medical, dental or mental health providers.
Do I work in a medically underserved community?
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) allows you to search by state and county to identify whether you live in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA)-an area identified for having a shortage of primary medical, dental or mental health providers.
Find more information at PAPCC http://pharmacistscare.org/frequently-asked-questions/
Legislation
Congress has introduced bipartisan legislation, the Medicare Coverage of Pharmacist Services Act to the Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act (H.R. 592/S. 314), that would amend the Social Security Act to recognize pharmacists as providers under Medicare Part B. H.R 592 was introduced in the House by Representatives Brett Guthrie (R-KY), G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), Tom Reed (R-NY), and Ron Kind (D-WI) and in the Senate by Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Robert Casey (D-PA), and Susan Collins (R-ME).
Ask your Member of Congress to Support H.R. 592/S. 109
