In the News

Seniors in nursing homes across the country depend on round-the-clock care and medications, perhaps more than any other American patient population. In turn, the nursing homes and assisted living facilities that care for them depend on a small number of specialized long-term care (LTC) pharmacies to ensure their patients have access to the prescription meds they need.

Starting in January, falling prices for costly drugs may strain long-term care pharmacies, but proposed legislation backed by advocacy groups aims to subsidize some of this loss. And nursing home advocacy groups are among those urging Congress to pass the Preserving Patient Access to Long-Term Care Pharmacies Act.

Senior living and care leaders have joined a coalition calling attention to a policy fix they say would address unintended consequences of Medicare Part D price negotiations that could shutter long-term care pharmacies.

The American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), LeadingAge, and Argentum joined the Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition (SCPC) in calling for Congress to pass the Preserving Patient Access to Long-Term Care Pharmacies Act (HR5031), according to a news release.

A bipartisan group of House lawmakers introduced legislation aimed at ensuring long-term care (LTC) pharmacies are paid an adequate supply fee to maintain patient access to prescription drugs for which prices are lowered through the Medicare drug price negotiation program, with the new maximum fair prices (MFPs) for the first group of selected drugs to take effect at the start of 2026.

Lawmakers have proposed a supply fee to bolster long-term care pharmacies facing major revenue losses with the implementation of negotiated prices on 10 commonly prescribed medications Jan. 1.

The Preserving Patient Access to Long-Term Pharmacies Act establishes a $30 per Medicare Part D prescription in 2026 and 2027.

Washington, D.C. – Representatives Beth Van Duyne (R-TX), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Buddy Carter (R-GA), Sharice Davids (D-KS), and Deborah Ross (D-NC) introduced H.R. 5031 Preserving Patient Access to Long-Term Care Pharmacies Act, bipartisan legislation to protect access to essential medications and pharmacy services for seniors and other long-term care (LTC) residents in nursing homes, assisted living, and similar […]

Facing deep losses on high-demand medications, 85% of long-term care pharmacies say they will limit essential services and 60% will close locations without changes to Medicare drug pricing efforts. Those are among the “unintended consequences” revealed in a Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition survey released Wednesday. The trade association has been increasingly vocal about pricing changes set to go into effect in January.

Up to 60% of long-term care pharmacies may have to close if Congress doesn’t intercede by January, according to a report released Wednesday by the Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition.