Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Ensuring Seniors Access to Local Pharmacies Act of 2014”.
Ensuring Seniors Access to Local Pharmacies Act of 2014
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.
Sec. 2 Allowing any willing pharmacy serving an underserved area to become a network pharmacy under Medicare prescription drug coverage
In general— Section 1860D–4(b)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w–104(b)(1)(B)) is amended—
by striking “Discounts allowed for network pharmacies.—For” and inserting the following:
“(i) In general—For”
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.”
Effective date— The amendments made by this section shall apply to plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2016.