House-Passed Bill Includes Critical Medicare Part D Exemption Language in Drug Management Program That Protects Long-Term Care Patients
Washington, DC – The Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition (SCPC) today praised House passage of the 21st Century Cures Act, and thanked lawmakers for both recognizing the unique challenges facing long-term care (LTC) pharmacy patients and providers, and for including bill language exempting Part D beneficiaries in skilled nursing facilities and other settings from a previously proposed medication management “lock-in” provision.
“We thank House Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and the full Committee for its vision in crafting this bill, and for the dedication to seeing it through to House passage with such sweeping, broad-based bipartisan support,” stated Alan G. Rosenbloom, President and CEO of SCPC.
“Besides being a strong step forward in finding cures to a variety of the world’s most deadly, persistent diseases, passage of the 21st Century Cures Act is a highly significant policy development that protects LTC patient access to essential medications,” he continued.
Said Rosenbloom: “With passage today, the U.S. House specifically recognizes the unique characteristics of the long-term care patient population and the distinctions between specialized long-term care pharmacies and more common retail pharmacies — particularly the additional requirements imposed on LTC pharmacies under Medicare Part D rules.”
