Bipartisan legislation aims to expand seniors' access to lower Rx co-pays

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Under new bipartisan legislation, seniors would have more convenient access to discounted or "preferred" copays for prescription drugs at their pharmacy of choice.



H.R. 793, which was introduced by Reps. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., and Peter Welch, D-Vt., would allow seniors in medically underserved areas to gain access to lower copays at any pharmacy willing to accept the Medicare Part D drug plan's "preferred pharmacy" terms and conditions (i.e., pricing).



The proposal would particularly benefit patients in underserved urban and rural communities who rely on independent pharmacies. According to a Medicare study, in urban areas more than half of "preferred" pharmacy drug plans (54%) failed to meet the government's threshold for reasonable access to pharmacies. In rural America, the closest "preferred" pharmacy can be 20 miles or more away.



Commenting in support of the legislation, the National Community Pharmacists Association CEO B. Douglas Hoey stated, "This bipartisan legislation would help give Medicare beneficiaries easier access to their prescription drugs at lower copays, while infusing greater competition into the Part D program. We commend Representatives Griffith and Welch on their leadership and encourage their colleagues to cosponsor this common-sense proposal."