Op-ed: Long-term care pharmacy change would endanger Maine’s seniors

DATE: December 12, 2025

By Rep. Robert Roley (R-Wells) | Published December 12, 2025 in Portland Press Herald

I’ve spent years in public service — on the town of Wells Board of Selectmen and in the Maine Legislature — learning that the best leaders are the ones who prevent crises before they happen. Whether it’s protecting our shores or ensuring our community members have what they need, proactive leadership saves lives and saves money.

Right now, 22,092 Maine seniors who depend on long-term care (LTC) pharmacy services are facing a crisis that could hit in a month. And frankly, it’s entirely preventable if our leaders in Washington act quickly.

Here’s what’s happening: Changes to Medicare Part D reimbursements taking effect Jan.
1 could force up to 60% of long-term care pharmacies across the country to close their doors. Long-term care pharmacies serve nursing homes and assisted living facilities with specialized services — 24-hour emergency delivery, on-site clinical support — services that are federally required and that are essential for these facilities to operate.

For Maine, this is especially serious because 35% of the seniors with LTC needs are in rural areas. That means a single pharmacy serving thousands of people and multiple facilities across vast distances. If that pharmacy closes, there’s no backup plan; no alternatives. And nursing homes simply cannot function without pharmaceutical services.

As ranking member of Maine’s Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee, I look at the numbers, and they’re stark. According to the Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition, if we do nothing to fix this problem, taxpayers will pay the price — up to $4.8 billion over the next decade — a figure 2½ times higher than the estimated cost of fixing the problem.

These costs are not solely fiscal. When seniors lose access to their medications, they end up in emergency rooms with preventable complications. Because prevention works, it has the pragmatic allure of being both fiscally and morally responsible.

The fix is straightforward. Sens. James Lankford and Markwayne Mullin have introduced S. 3159, the Preserving Patient Access to Long-Term Care Pharmacies Act, which provides a temporary supply fee for drugs dispensed by LTC pharmacies through 2027.

It’s a bridge solution while Congress works on something more permanent. Organizations like LeadingAge and the American Health Care Association back this bill because they know we’re facing an imminent crisis.

But we don’t have time to wait for Congress alone. President Trump has the authority right now to offer emergency relief through CMS demonstration projects or waivers, with no congressional approval needed.

The administration can stabilize these pharmacies immediately while the legislative process moves along. I hope President Trump will choose to use his authority to protect seniors in Maine and nationwide before it’s too late.

Throughout my time in public service, Sen. Susan Collins has been a model of what it means to put Maine first. I’ve watched her and learned from her, and I can say without hesitation: Nobody has fought harder for Maine seniors and rural communities than Susan Collins. She understands that Maine people — whether they live in Portland or Presque Isle — deserve access to quality care.

This issue needs her leadership and her voice. I’m urging Sen. Collins to join her Republican colleagues in co-sponsoring S. 3159 and to push the Trump administration for immediate action. When Sen. Collins speaks, Washington listens, and Maine seniors need her to fight for them right now.

The math here is simple: Acting now costs less and saves lives. Waiting costs billions and puts thousands of Maine seniors at risk. President Trump and Sen. Collins have the power to prevent this crisis. But they need to act now.

Rep. Robert Foley, R-Wells, represents House District 145 in the Maine Legislature. He is the ranking member of the Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services Committee.

Read the full article on the Portland Press Herald here