YourVoice.Now Summary
Your MoneyCorporate BenefitsMedicare would cover pharmacist visits for flu, COVID, RSV, and strep — with no bill above the Medicare rate.
Your Money
Medicare Part B would pay for a pharmacist to test and treat you for these four illnesses, wherever state law already allows a pharmacist to do that work.
A pharmacist could not charge you more than the Medicare-approved amount for these visits. You would still owe the usual 20 percent share.
Corporate Benefits
Pharmacies could bill Medicare for these visits at 85 percent of the doctor rate, or the full doctor rate during a declared public health emergency.
More about this bill
Your pharmacy could start counting as a place Medicare covers for flu, COVID-19, RSV, and strep throat. Medicare Part B would pay the pharmacist, in states whose laws already let them do that work. You would owe your usual 20 percent share, and the pharmacist could not bill you for anything above the Medicare rate. Medicare would pay pharmacists 85 percent of what it pays a doctor for the same visit. During a declared public health emergency, it would pay the full rate.
Congressional Summary
Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services ActThis bill provides for permanent coverage under Medicare of certain pharmacist services.Specifically, the bill provides for permanent coverage of testing and treatment services provided by pharmacists relating to (1) COVID-19, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and streptococcal pharyngitis (strep throat); and (2) other public health needs in relation to a declared public health emergency. (Similar authorities were temporarily granted during the COVID-19 public health emergency.) Such services must be provided in accordance with the applicable state laws governing pharmacists' scope of practice.
Legislative Subjects
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- Senate
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in Senate
- Action Date
- 2025-07-24
- Date Added
- 2026-08-25
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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