S 1491 United States Senate · 118th Congress

Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act

This bill expands Medicare coverage to include pharmacist services in designated underserved areas. It directly affects Medicare beneficiaries in health professional shortage areas, medically underserved areas, or medically underserved populations, as well as pharmacists licensed to provide these services. Key provisions require Medicare to cover pharmacist services (like those typically provided by physicians) in these areas and set payment at 80% of the lesser of the actual charge or 85% of the physician fee schedule. The changes take effect January 1, 2024, and require new billing codes for pharmacists.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
May 2023
Committee Review
Floor Vote
President
Introduced May 9, 2023 Last action May 9, 2023
Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
2
Key actions
0
Committee
1
May 9, 2023
Committee
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
upper
May 9, 2023
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
upper
1 primary · 12 co-sponsors

Sponsors