Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act
Sponsored By: Senator John Thune
Introduced
Summary
Medicare Part B coverage for pharmacist services. This bill creates a new Part B benefit so pharmacists can provide and bill Medicare for certain evaluation, testing, and treatment services while setting payment rules and banning balance billing.
Show full summary
- Seniors and people on Medicare get easier access to pharmacist-delivered care for testing and treatment of COVID-19, influenza, RSV, streptococcal pharyngitis, and other declared public health needs, with protections against balance billing and services effective January 1, 2026.
- Pharmacists can bill Medicare when working under required state-law supervision or collaboration and under jointly developed guidelines. Payments are generally 80% of the lesser of the actual charge or 85% of the physician payment amount.
- Public health response is strengthened because services tied to a public health need get full payment at 100% of the Medicare-based amount, encouraging pharmacist participation during emergencies.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Medicare coverage for pharmacist care
If enacted, Medicare Part B would cover pharmacist services starting January 1, 2026. Coverage would apply only when State law allows the pharmacist to perform the service and any required doctor supervision or collaboration is met. It would explicitly include visits for testing or treating COVID-19, influenza, RSV, and strep, and services tied to a declared public health emergency. Medicare would pay 80% of the lesser of the pharmacist's charge or a Medicare-based amount (that Medicare amount would be 85% of the usual physician payment, or 100% for public-health emergency services). Pharmacists could not balance-bill Medicare patients for these covered services.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
John Thune
SD • R
Cosponsors
Mark Warner
VA • D
Sponsored 7/24/2025
Thomas Tillis
NC • R
Sponsored 7/24/2025
Steve Daines
MT • R
Sponsored 7/24/2025
Maggie Hassan
NH • D
Sponsored 7/24/2025
Elizabeth Warren
MA • D
Sponsored 7/24/2025
Peter Welch
VT • D
Sponsored 7/24/2025
Catherine Cortez Masto
NV • D
Sponsored 7/24/2025
James Lankford
OK • R
Sponsored 7/30/2025
Lisa Blunt Rochester
DE • D
Sponsored 9/3/2025
Kevin Cramer
ND • R
Sponsored 9/3/2025
Amy Klobuchar
MN • D
Sponsored 9/9/2025
Dan Sullivan
AK • R
Sponsored 9/9/2025
Martin Heinrich
NM • D
Sponsored 9/17/2025
Jeanne Shaheen
NH • D
Sponsored 9/17/2025
Shelley Capito
WV • R
Sponsored 9/17/2025
Deb Fischer
NE • R
Sponsored 9/17/2025
Lisa Murkowski
AK • R
Sponsored 10/7/2025
Timothy Kaine
VA • D
Sponsored 10/7/2025
Christopher Coons
DE • D
Sponsored 10/8/2025
Mike Rounds
SD • R
Sponsored 10/8/2025
Adam Schiff
CA • D
Sponsored 10/14/2025
John Kennedy
LA • R
Sponsored 10/14/2025
Markwayne Mullin
OK • R
Sponsored 10/16/2025
Roger Marshall
KS • R
Sponsored 10/22/2025
Marsha Blackburn
TN • R
Sponsored 11/20/2025
Gary Peters
MI • D
Sponsored 11/20/2025
Sheldon Whitehouse
RI • D
Sponsored 12/2/2025
Susan Collins
ME • R
Sponsored 2/9/2026
Patty Murray
WA • D
Sponsored 2/9/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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