SCPC Statement on President Joe Biden’s Speech before Joint Session of Congress

DATE: April 29, 2021

SCPC Applauds President Biden’s Commitment for Senior’s Health Care; Calls on Administration to Prioritize Long-term Care Pharmacies in Provider Relief Fund Allocations

Washington, DC – In response to President Joe Biden’s address to a Joint session of Congress yesterday evening, the Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition (SCPC) offered the following statement from SCPC President and CEO Alan Rosenbloom:

“Yesterday, the U.S. Congress and nation heard from President Joe Biden in his first address before a joint session of Congress. The Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition (SCPC), an organization advocating for long-term care (LTC) pharmacies and their patients, was pleased to hear that among President Biden’s top priorities is building on the success of the vaccine rollout for America’s seniors.

LTC pharmacies have been integral to the successful delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to seniors and younger disabled Americans living in skilled nursing facilities, assisted living communities and congregate residential care settings.   The pandemic has hit residents in these facilities hard, and uninterrupted access to the medications remains essential to their health and wellbeing.  Despite the pandemic, LTC pharmacies have assured that residents received the medications and wrap-around clinical services they rely on for quality of care and overall wellbeing.  As a trusted care provider across multiple settings—including congregate living facilities and at home—SCPC’s LTC pharmacy members made sure residents got the medications they needed and expanded their daily services to administer hundreds of thousands of vaccinations.

However, this has come at a cost for an already strained sector. LTC pharmacies are continuing to experience an 11% loss in revenue due to the pandemic, and operating costs have increased by 10% to maintain COVID-19 safety measures. Vaccine administration has worsened the financial burden of the pandemic, since the federal government’s payments for vaccine distribution and administration do not consider the higher costs of providing vaccines in LTC facilities, resulting in payment that covers only 60% of costs. Inexplicably, and despite providing urgent, life-saving care for people, who each average 12-13 medications daily, LTC pharmacies have been excluded from any assistance from the $178 billion Provider Relief Fund.

SCPC urges President Biden and Congress to focus on the essential health needs of residents in LTC facilities.  To do this, the Administration must prioritize Provider Relief Fund allocations to LTC pharmacies, and Congress must act as necessary to guarantee that LTC pharmacies receive the relief they deserve. 

SCPC looks forward to working with President Biden on behalf of the 850,000 patients served every day by our members.”

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The Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition (SCPC) is the only national organization exclusively representing the interests of LTC pharmacies. Its members operate in all 50 states and serve 850,000 patients daily in skilled nursing and assisted living facilities across the country. Visit seniorcarepharmacies.org to learn more.