- Pin it
- SubscribeUnsubscribe
- Embed
Daniel Kudryashov hasn't added a story.
After two decades of talk, a federal bill is finally introduced which aims to improve patients' outcomes by ensuring access to pharmacists' services. Please consider donating to support this great cause for the benefit of patients and to allow pharmacists to practice at the top of their license and training.
Background
Millions of Americans lack adequate access to primary health
care and this is only expected to get worse as demand increases. Over
the next two decades, the number of Medicare enrollees is expected to
grow from roughly 50 million to over 80 million.i In addition,
approximately 45% of Americans have at least one chronic condition,
and 27% have multiple chronic conditions, rates that are expected to
continue to rise.ii iii Further, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
estimates that an additional 25 million individuals will potentially
be gaining health coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable
Care Act (PPACA). Factoring all of this in, the Association of
American Medical Colleges projects that, by 2020, there will be more
than 91,000 fewer doctors than needed to meet demand, and the impact
will be most severe on underserved populations.
In the face of
this anticipated shortage, pharmacists are conveniently accessible
health care professionals who, in coordination and collaboration with
other health care team providers, are capable of playing a greater
role in the delivery of health care services. While pharmacists remain
committed to assisting patients with access and information related to
their prescription medications, pharmacists today are providing a
broad spectrum of services, within their scope of practice, including
conducting health and wellness testing, managing chronic diseases and
performing medication management, administering immunizations, and
working in and partnering with hospitals and health systems to advance
health and wellness and helping to reduce hospital readmissions.
Access to pharmacists’ care
Physicians and certain non-physician health care professionals
are reimbursed under Medicare Part B for providing necessary health
care services. With very limited exceptions, pharmacists’ services are
not reimbursed in this fashion. The lack of reimbursement of
pharmacists for services provided within their state scope of practice
unnecessarily limits patient access to certain health care services
and the contributions pharmacists can make to their health care and
outcomes. Enabling pharmacists to practice at the top of their
education and training, and be better integrated into the patient’s
health care team, will improve health outcomes and greatly benefit
specific populations, especially those with chronic disease such as
diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Key aspects of federal provider status legislation (H.R. 4190)
The bill seeks to increase access and improve quality by enabling
pharmacists to provide patient care services as consistent with
their education, training and license. Importantly, the federal
legislation would not expand the types of services that pharmacists
are permitted to provide. Eligible services would continue to be
governed by state scope of practice laws.
The legislation
promotes increased access to care for patients who are otherwise
medically underserved. Specifically, the legislation focuses on care
for underserved beneficiaries in MUAs, MUPs, and HPSAs, as designated
by HRSA. As the shortage of primary care physicians increases, so too
will the challenges that patients in underserved communities face,
especially those related to access. This legislation can help address
provider shortages and access issues in underserved areas.
The
bill promotes cost-effective health care by increasing access to care
and opportunities for early intervention at cost-effective settings so
as to minimize long-term health care costs such as those associated
with preventable higher-cost conditions. Consistent with precedent
established in the Social Security Act for nurse practitioners and
physician assistants, pharmacist services would be reimbursed at 85%
of the physician fee schedule, unless they are operating under the
direct supervision of a physician, in which case they would be
reimbursed at 100% of the physician fee schedule.
Visit http://www.pharmacist.com/providerstatusrecognition for more information.
Highlights
See all activity9Activity
Delete media item?
Delete this item from the media gallery? It will also be deleted from any related story update.
Set as ?
The campaign video will appear in social media and email.
The campaign cover picture will appear in social media and email.
The will appear at the top of your campaign page and in social media and email.
Reset ?
It will be removed from the top of your campaign and won't be used as default in social media and email. The will remain in the media gallery.
Embed
Share a link
Delete update
Delete this story update?
Any pictures or videos will remain in the campaign's media gallery.
Report campaign
Report submitted
Thank you. We take reports like yours very seriously. Our goal is to keep the community safe.
Please know that we may contact you for more information, but that we won't notify you personally of our decision. If the campaign remains available within a few days, it's likely that we determined it not to be in violation of our policies.
Thank you. We've already received your previous report. If the campaign remains available within a few days, it's likely that we determined it not to be in violation of our policies.
Tell us about the problem. Please fill in both fields below.
Record a video
Upload a video
Nothing grabs attention for your cause like a personal video. Take a minute or two to record one now. Record a short video message of support. Or upload one from your device. You can preview or redo your video before you post it.
Nothing grabs attention for your cause like a personal video. Upload a short video message of support. Upload a short video message of support. Or record one right now.
- Most effective video length: about a minute.
- Maximum length: 5 min.
- You can preview or redo your video before you post it.
Heads up! The existing video will be replaced.
Email your friends
Join our team
Tell people why our cause matters to you. Your personal message will encourage others to help. Easy, effective, optional.
Say it in video
Short personal videos by supporters like you are incredibly powerful. Record one right now and you'll help us raise more money. Easy, optional, effective.
Add a personal goal
Set a personal fundraising goal. You'll encourage more contributions if you do. And rest easy. There's no obligation to achieve your goal or bad consequences if you don't. Easy, optional, effective.
We have a video!
Video thumbnail
We'd love to show you our campaign video. Want to take a look?
, you're already on the team.