Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition: Passing HR 5031 Vital for Seniors’ Medication Access
Along with the Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition, 3 additional long-term care advocacy groups have joined in on calls to pass the Preserving Patient Access to Long-Term Care Pharmacies Act.
The American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), LeadingAge, and Argentum joined the Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition (SCPC) in calling for Congress to pass the Preserving Patient Access to Long-Term Care Pharmacies Act (HR5031), according to a news release.1
“HR 5031 would create a new supply fee to ensure continued access to the government-mandated services LTC pharmacies provide to patients in long-term care when new Medicare negotiated prices on certain drugs (MFP) take effect on January 1, 2026,” wrote the SCPC in a previous release celebrating HR 5031’s introduction in late August.2 “The new $30 LTC pharmacy supply fee would only apply to MFP drugs dispensed by LTC pharmacies, ensuring seniors maintain access to their life-saving medications, and LTC pharmacies receive sustainable reimbursements for their essential and specialized services.”
AHCA/NCAL, LeadingAge, and Argentum are the biggest players when it comes to supporting providers within long-term care (LTC) facilities such as assisted living and nursing homes.1 With seniors consisting of the main population of patients in LTC settings, the aforementioned organizations have been working hard to ensure access to medications for seniors is still viable amid overlapping legislation set to go into effect in 2026.
HR 5031 proposes a $30 supply fee paid to LTC pharmacies on each MDPNP drug dispensed. | image credit: Andrii / stock.adobe.com
READ MORE: Pharmacy Owners Say They Are Unable to Participate in MDPNP
Between the care communities that seniors are living in and the LTC pharmacies that dispense these medications, HR 5031 was designed to bridge any gaps that may exist within these 2 health care settings. With over 5 million Medicare beneficiaries in need of LTC, as well as 25% of them occupying assisted living settings, HR 5031 will lessen the burden of seniors’ access to medication, which is set to evolve at the start of 2026 during the official rollout of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program (MDPNP).
“Everyone wants to reduce drug costs for seniors and taxpayers. But, as our research shows, the program is structured in a way that will force many independent pharmacies out of the Medicare Part D program,” said Douglas Hoey, RPh, MBA, CEO of the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA).3 “Drug costs may come down, but there will be a shortage of pharmacies to dispense medicine. Seniors will be stranded without a pharmacy, and they won’t get the benefit of lower drug prices.”
Like NCPA, many organizations supporting LTC pharmacies are worried that impacts stemming from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 could force a variety of pharmacies to close following January 1, 2026. Through the IRA, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ironed out a plan with drugmakers to cap a select list of medications at a certain price for Medicare Part D beneficiaries.4
While the IRA legislation and MDPNP initiative were designed to significantly decrease patients’ out-of-pocket (OOP) spend, the realization of these 2 provisions is becoming less and less popular among particular stakeholders in the pharmacy industry.
“The IRA inadvertently and uniquely impacts reimbursement for LTC pharmacies that provide essential and required pharmacy services to our nation’s most vulnerable patients in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and other long-term care settings,” continued the authors of the August news release.2 “Representative Beth Van Duyne (R, Texas) and Brad Schneider’s (D, Illinois) bill protects patients and fills the reimbursement gap that will occur when Medicare Part D drug negotiation goes into effect next year.”
The new HR 5031 bill has garnered bipartisan support from 6 congressmen, and it offers a simple yet meaningful solution for LTC pharmacies that may experience a squeeze when MDPNP drugs go into effect next year. That solution is a $30 supply fee paid to LTC pharmacies on each MDPNP drug dispensed, offsetting the potential losses these practices may experience following the drug price switch.1
Furthermore, as the SCPC release stated, LTC pharmacies rely almost solely on Medicare Part D drug plans and patients in LTC facilities commonly use at least 8 of the first 10 drugs that were selected for drug price negotiations in 2026. Amid the previous legislation and provisions that are anticipated to be enacted, LTC and pharmacy-focused advocates are looking for ways to avoid the impact of the MDPNP through solutions like HR 5031.
“There is no substitute for the legally required services that LTC pharmacies provide, such as 24/7/365 medication management, patient-specific packaging, consultant services, and rigorous quality controls,” concluded authors of the release.1 “If LTC pharmacies close, residents will lose access to lifesaving medicines and facilities will face compliance challenges, putting their services in jeopardy as well. Congress must act swiftly to pass HR 5031 to save senior care.”
READ MORE: Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Could Expose Pharmacies to Significant Financial Risk | AAP 2025
Ready to impress your pharmacy colleagues with the latest drug information, industry trends, and patient care tips? Sign up today for our free Drug Topics newsletter.
REFERENCES
1. Nation’s long-term care leaders rally behind H.R. 5031 to avert looming crisis & protect senior access to meds. News Release. Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition. September 22, 2025. Accessed September 23, 2025. https://seniorcarepharmacies.org/nations-long-term-care-leaders-rally-behind-h-r-5031-to-avert-looming-crisis-protect-senior-access-to-meds/
2. SCPC applauds introduction of Preserving Patient Access to Long-Term Care Pharmacies Act (H.R. 5031) to ensure seniors’ access to essential meds and pharmacy services. News Release. Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition. August 27, 2025. Accessed September 23, 2025. https://seniorcarepharmacies.org/scpc-applauds-introduction-of-preserving-patient-access-to-long-term-care-pharmacies-act-h-r-5031-to-ensure-seniors-access-to-essential-meds-and-pharmacy-services/
3. New analysis finds the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program threatens financial stability of American pharmacies. January 30, 2025. NCPA. News Release. September 4, 2025. Accessed September 5, 2025. https://ncpa.org/newsroom/news-releases/2025/01/30/new-analysis-finds-medicare-drug-price-negotiation-program
4. Summary: the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Senate Democratic Steering and Policy Committee. Accessed September 23, 2025. https://www.democrats.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/inflation_reduction_act_one_page_summary.pdf
Newsletter
Pharmacy practice is always changing. Stay ahead of the curve with the Drug Topics newsletter and get the latest drug information, industry trends, and patient care tips.
