S. 2477Senate118th Congress (2023-2025)In Committee

Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act

AI-Generated Summary

Updated January 20, 2026 at 10:19 AM UTC

The Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act amends Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to add certain pharmacist‑provided services to Medicare Part B coverage. It establishes how Medicare will pay for those services and bars pharmacists from balance‑billing patients. The changes apply to Medicare beneficiaries who receive eligible pharmacist services, especially during public‑health emergencies.

Key Provisions

Adds a new subparagraph defining pharmacist services that are covered under Medicare Part B when provided by a licensed pharmacist or under a federal emergency authority.
Sets Medicare payment for these services at 80 % of the lesser of the actual charge or 85 % of the standard Medicare rate, with 100 % payment in emergency situations.
Prohibits balance billing for pharmacist services covered under Medicare.
Clarifies that pharmacies and pharmacists may still enroll and be reimbursed under existing Medicare pathways, including as mass immunizers.
Requires the Secretary of HHS to issue implementing rules, program instructions, or similar guidance within 60 days of enactment.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Finance Committee

July 25, 2023

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

July 25, 2023

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Finance Committee

July 25, 2023

Floor Debate

2 members

What members said about S. 2477 on the floor

1 Republican1 Democrat

Sen. Alex PadillaD-CA · Jul 25, 2023

Madam President, I rise to introduce the Mental Health for Latinos Act. This important bill would boost our continued efforts to reduce stigma and promote mental wellness, while meeting the diverse…

In response to the mental health crisis in the Latino community, this legislation requires the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a strategy to provide information on evidence-based practices, interventions, and treatments that are culturally and linguistically appropriate and increases awareness of symptoms of mental illnesses common among such populations, considering differences within subgroups, such as gender, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, race, or ethnicity.

The evidence is clear: We are experiencing a mental health crisis in the Latino community. Disparities within our healthcare system are preventing members of Latino communities from receiving lifesaving mental health services.

These barriers to care are causing too many to suffer in silence, and this must change. Presently, only 36.1 percent of Latino adults aged 18 or older with a mental illness received services in 2021, compared to the U.S. average of 47.2 percent. Between 2010 and 2020, the suicide rate among male Latino adults ages 20 to 64 increased by 35.7 percent, and the female rate increased by 40.6 percent. Even those who are able to access services rarely receive the effective, culturally competent care they need.

This bill would further our continued efforts to reduce stigma and promote mental wellness, while meeting the diverse needs of Latino populations across the country. As our Nation confronts an unfolding mental health crisis, this critical legislation reinforces the timeless message that there is zero shame in asking for help and that seeking support is a sign of strength.

I would like to thank Congresswoman Napolitano for leading this legislation in the House of Representatives, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to enact the Mental Health for Latinos Act as soon as possible.

Madam President, I rise to introduce the Converting Our Waste Sustainably, COWS, Act of 2023. This legislation will help dairy and livestock producers reduce methane emissions, improve air and water quality, and implement more sustainable alternative manure management practices.

As the top dairy State in the country and the second in cheese production, California is the largest producer of milk, butter, and cheeses like mozzarella, Monterey Jack, and queso fresco. Dairy operations contribute billions of dollars to California's economy but are also responsible for 60 percent of California's methane emissions.

Recognizing the urgency of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions like methane, California and the dairy industry are on track to reduce dairy methane emissions by 40 percent by 2030 largely due to the successes of California's own Alternative Manure Management Program.

The COWS Act would establish an Alternative Manure Management Program to help dairy and livestock producers transition toward pasture-based management, alternative treatment and storage practices, solid separation systems, and scrape technologies.

This voluntary program, modeled after California's extremely successful Alternative Manure Management Program, will provide more resources for the dairy and livestock industry to modernize technologies for manure management that help boost profitability, improve water quality, and reduce methane and nitrogen oxide emissions by fostering climate-smart farming.

The bill also makes composting eligible for funding under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Conservation Stewardship Program.

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural operations is critical to addressing the climate crisis. Because of the high construction and operation costs associated with anerobic digesters, nondigester manure management practices can provide a more cost- effective alternative for family dairy and livestock operators seeking to improve profitability while improving air and water quality for their communities.

I would like to thank my colleagues, Senators Brown and Heinrich, for their leadership in reducing agricultural methane emissions and Representative Costa for championing this bill in the House.

I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass the COWS Act as quickly as possible.

Sen. John ThuneR-SD · Jul 25, 2023

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Sen. John ThuneR-SD · Jul 25, 2023

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued July 25, 2023

118th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 2477

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

July 25, 2023

Mr. Thune (for himself and Mr. Warner) 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 pharmacy payment of certain services.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act.

Coverage of pharmacist services under medicare part B

(a)

Coverage

Section 1861(s) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(s)) is amended—

(1)

in paragraph (2)—

(A)

in subparagraph (II), by striking and at the end;

(B)

in subparagraph (JJ), by inserting and after the semicolon at the end; and

(C)

by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

(KK)

pharmacist services and such services and supplies furnished as an incident to the pharmacist’s service as would otherwise be covered under part B if furnished by a physician or as an incident to a physician’s service that—

(i)

are furnished by a pharmacist—

(I)

as licensed under State law; or

(II)

pursuant to a Federal emergency authority described under section 319F–3 or section 361 of the Public Health Service Act, or other similar Federal law;

(ii)

would otherwise be covered under part B if furnished by a physician; and

(iii)

are services—

(I)

for encounters for the evaluation and management of patients for testing or treatment for COVID–19, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, or streptococcal pharyngitis; or

(II)

that address a public health need related to a public health emergency under section 319F–3 or section 361 of the Public Health Service Act, or other similar Federal law.

; and

(2)

in paragraph (10), in each of subparagraphs (A) and (B), by inserting , including when furnished by a pharmacist before the semicolon in each such subparagraph.

(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 described in section 1861(s)(2)(KK), the amounts paid shall be equal to 80 percent of the lesser of (i) the actual charge for the services or (ii) 85 percent (or 100 percent, in the case of such services furnished pursuant to a Federal emergency authority described in clause (i)(II) of such section) of the amount determined under the payment basis under section 1848 for such services..

(c)

Prohibition on balance billing for pharmacist services

Section 1842(b)(18)(C) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395u(b)(18)(C)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(ix)

A pharmacist.

(d)

Rule of construction

Nothing in this section shall be construed to restrict the ability of pharmacies and pharmacists to enroll and obtain reimbursement under existing pathways under title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) as of the date of the enactment of this Act, including payment as mass immunizers.

(e)

Implementation authority

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall implement the provisions of, and the amendments made by, this section by interim final rule, program instruction, or otherwise not later than the date that is 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.