Op-ed: Congress must act for seniors to avert long-term care pharmacy crisis

DATE: November 7, 2025

By Adam Mather, President of Kentucky Coalition of Aging Resources and Empowerment (KCARE) | Published November 7, 2025

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky takes great pride in caring for our seniors and aging adults. Every day, across the commonwealth, thousands of dedicated healthcare professionals deliver high-quality, compassionate care to our loved ones at nearly 300 nursing homes, assisted living communities and other long-term care facilities.

Behind every nurse, caregiver and administrator in our long-term care system stands a critical but often unseen partner: the long-term care (LTC) pharmacy. These unique pharmacies and dedicated pharmacists operate 24/7/365, ensuring that residents receive the right medication at the right time to manage their health.

LTC pharmacies help make long-term care possible, providing around-the-clock clinical oversight, medication management and consulting services to manage resident health — all while helping prevent hospitalizations and improving outcomes for our most vulnerable citizens.

Unfortunately, our pharmacy partners are facing a looming national crisis that only President Trump or Congress can address. Many LTC pharmacies will soon be at risk of closure due to an unintended consequence of recent Medicare Part D drug pricing policy changes. Without action, many long-term care facilities may be left without access to critical and legally required pharmacy services.

Beginning January 1, 2026, many of the most commonly dispensed medications in long-term care will be subject to pricing changes that uniquely impact the fragile LTC pharmacy reimbursement system. And while lower drug prices are certainly good for consumers, these changes unintentionally threaten the financial stability of our LTC pharmacy partners.

The Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition, the national trade association for LTC pharmacies, recently surveyed its nearly 400 members and found that more than 60% of pharmacy locations, particularly those in rural areas, could be forced to close next year. If this happens, many nursing homes and assisted living communities could be next, jeopardizing access to both medications and long-term care services for millions of seniors.

Fortunately, there is a commonsense legislative solution already before Congress: the Preserving Patient Access to Long-Term Care Pharmacies Act (H.R. 5031), introduced by Reps. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX-24) and Brad Schneider (D-IL-10), is a bipartisan bill. It would provide an urgently needed “LTC Pharmacy Fix” by establishing a $30 LTC pharmacy supply fee on drugs that are subject to Medicare price negotiations. This commonsense solution will keep LTC pharmacies operational so they can continue serving our seniors and our facilities.

In Kentucky and across the nation, it is essential to keep our LTC pharmacies strong and viable. Our commonwealth is home to over a million Medicare beneficiaries, including 88,000 seniors aged 65 and older who are likely to need long-term care. In 2023, more than 21,000 Kentuckians required a long-term stay and another 30,000 received short-term care. These numbers represent our parents, grandparents and loved ones who deserve continued access to the highest quality of care.

Thankfully, two of Kentucky’s leaders in Congress are already taking charge to protect our seniors. Kentucky’s long-term care community is grateful to have the support of both Rep. Brett Guthrie, chair of the influential House Energy and Commerce Committee, who has been helping every step of the way, and Rep. James Comer, chair of the powerful House Oversight Committee, who recently co-sponsored H.R. 5031 and encouraged action from CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz.

On behalf of the Kentucky Coalition for Aging Resources and Empowerment (KCARE), I want to thank Reps. Guthrie and Comer for their leadership on this important issue while encouraging all members of Kentucky’s Congressional delegation to support H.R. 5031.

H.R. 5031 isn’t simply about fixing a policy problem. It’s about averting a long-term care crisis that would impact millions of seniors and the entire long-term care sector. Congress must prioritize the health, dignity and independence of America’s aging adults by enacting this LTC Pharmacy Fix before it’s too late.

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Adam Mather is the President of KCARE, the association representing skilled nursing facilities and personal care homes across the commonwealth and the state affiliate for the American Healthcare Association (AHCA), National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL), and Argentum.