Pharmacist provider status legislation: Projections and prospects

Objective: To compare legislation at the federal level that would recognize pharmacists as health care providers under Medicare Part B with similar state-level efforts in an attempt to identify the strengths and weaknesses of these options and forecast outcomes. Summary: The current primary care provider shortage poses a significant threat to public health in the United States. The effort to achieve federal provider status for pharmacists, currently in the form of identical bills introduced in January 2015 into the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate as the Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act (H.R. 592 and S. 314), would amend the Social Security Act to recognize pharmacists as health care providers in sections of Medicare Part B that specify coverage and reimbursement. This action has budgetary implications owing to the compensation that would accrue to pharmacists caring for Medicare beneficiaries. Passage of these bills into law could improve public health by sustainably increasing access to pharmacists' patient care services in medically underserved areas. In this article, the legislation's strengths and weaknesses are analyzed. The resulting information may be used to forecast the bills' fate as well as plan strategies to help support their success. Comparison of the bills with existing, state-level efforts is used as a framework for such policy analysis. Conclusion: While the current political climate benefits the bills in the U.S. Congress, established legislative precedents suggest that parts of H.R. 592/S. 314, specifically those regarding compensation mechanisms, may require negotiated amendment to improve their chances of success.