The Senate Finance Committee is currently drafting a Medicare "fix" bill that is expected to be introduced as early as May 5. While the primary intent of this legislation is to prevent a 10% cut in the Medicare physician reimbursement rate, scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2008, the legislation is expected to be much broader. To ensure that pharmacy issues are among those items added to the Medicare "fix" bill, please contact your Senator on the Finance Committee today to urge Congress to fix Medicaid pharmacy reimbursement under the Average Manufacturer's Price (AMP) formula and to mandate prompt payment of Medicare pharmacy claims.
Action:
Urge your Senator to address pharmacist issues in the Medicare "fix" bill by including:
- a fix for Medicaid pharmacy reimbursement such as the "Fair Medicaid Drug Payment Act of 2007" (S. 1951)
- a prompt payment requirement for Medicare Part D claims such as "Pharmacy Access Improvement Act (PhAIM) of 2007" (S. 1954)
Sample Phone Script/ Voicemail
Please acknowledge Senator Schumer's support of both pharmacy bills, which will encourage him to press for further action on these issues.
"Hello, my name is .....I am a pharmacist from (name of city). As the Senate Finance Committee continues to work on a 'Medicare fix bill,' I want to thank Senator Schumer for cosponsoring S. 1951 and urge him to press for inclusion of this fix to the flawed AMP Medicaid pharmacy reimbursement system.
Also very important to me is the inclusion of legislation requiring prompt payment of Part D claims. This continues to be a significant problem for my pharmacy, where it can take ___ days for reimbursement.
I am extremely concerned about how this one-two punch will impact my ability to serve the needs of my patients, which is why I am calling to ask for a fix for AMP (such as in the S. 1951), as well as prompt pay (such as S. 1954) to be included in the Medicare Fix Bill."
NY Contact:
New York Member of the Senate Finance Committee:
Sen. Charles Schumer Cosponsored S. 1951 and S. 1954
D.C. Office (202) 224-6542
NYC Office (212) 486-4430
Buffalo (716) 846-4111
Rochester (585) 263-5866
Albany (518) 431-4070
Binghamton (607) 772-6792
Syracuse (315) 423-5471
Peekskill (914) 734-1532
Melville (631) 753-0978
FYI: Sen. Hillary Clinton also Cosponsored S. 1951 and S. 1954 however is not on the Senate Finance Committee.
To view the complete list of cosponsors for S.1951
To view the complete list of cosponsors for S. 1954
Please forward any e-mail responses or letters that you receive from Members of Congress to Allison Wiley, Political Action Coordinator, by email at awiley@aphanet.org or by fax to 202-638-3793. Your input helps us maximize our impact and allows us to further tailor our communications to address the individual concerns of a congressional office. We also welcome any feedback from your meetings with Members of Congress or their staff.
