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
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Chuck Grassley
RRepublican
Co
Angus S. King, Jr.
IIndependent
Co
Ben Ray Luján
DDemocratic
Co
Cindy Hyde-Smith
RRepublican
Co
Debbie Stabenow
DDemocratic
Co
Gary C. Peters
DDemocratic
Co
Raphael G. Warnock
DDemocratic
Co
Robert P. Casey, Jr.
DDemocratic
Co
Roger Marshall
RRepublican
Co
Sherrod Brown
DDemocratic
Co
Tammy Baldwin
DDemocratic
Ask Maddy
·
AI policy assistant
Ask Maddy about S 1491
Scope: US
Hi! I can help you understand S 1491. What would you like to know?
Try one of these
i
Maddy answers using official bill text and legislative records. Always verify before sharing.
Sources cited inline