119-s2800

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2800 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 2800

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage 
 under the Medicare program of pharmacist services.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 September 15, 2025

Mr. Grassley (for himself and Mr. Lujan) introduced the following bill; 
 which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage 
 under the Medicare program of pharmacist services.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Pharmacy and Medically Underserved 
Areas Enhancement Act''.

SEC. 2. MEDICARE COVERAGE OF PHARMACIST SERVICES.

    (a) Coverage.--

Section 1861

    (s)

    (2) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395x

    (s)

    (2) ) is amended--

    (1) in subparagraph

    (JJ) , by inserting ``and'' at the end; 
 and

    (2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
 ``

    (KK) pharmacist services furnished by a pharmacist, as 
 licensed by State law, individually or on behalf of a pharmacy 
 provider--
 ``
            (i) which the pharmacist is legally authorized to 
 perform in the State in which the individual performs 
 such services;
 ``
            (ii) as would otherwise be covered under this 
 part if furnished by a physician, or as an incident to 
 a physician's service; and
 ``
            (iii) in a setting located in a health 
 professional shortage area (as defined in 

section 332

    (a)

    (1)
        (A) of the Public Health Service Act), 
 medically underserved area, or medically underserved 
 population (as defined in 

section 330

    (b)

    (3) of such 
 Act);''.

    (b) Payment.--

Section 1833

    (a)

    (1) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395l

    (a)

    (1) ) is amended--

    (1) by striking ``and

    (HH) '' and inserting ``

    (HH) ''; and

    (2) by inserting before the semicolon at the end the 
 following: ``, and
            (II) with respect to pharmacist services (as 
 defined in 

section 1861

    (s)

    (2) (KK) ), the amounts paid shall be 
 equal to 80 percent of the lesser of the actual charge or 85 
 percent of the fee schedule amount provided under 

section 1848 
 if such services had been furnished by a physician''.
            (c) Effective Date; Pharmacist Specific Codes.--

    (1) Effective date.--The amendments made by subsections

    (a) and

    (b) shall apply with respect to services furnished on or 
 after January 1, 2027.

    (2) Pharmacist specific codes.--The Secretary of Health and 
 Human Services shall develop pharmacist specific codes, as 
 necessary, under the physician fee schedule under 

section 1848 
 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-4).
 <all>