You have been AMAZING in your responses on this request. For those of you that have already sent letters and alerted your members, a big THANK YOU!!!

Last night, ASHP learned that Provider Status is in play for the Senate stimulus bill being negotiated this weekend. Our understanding is that Senator Schumer included a skinny version of provider status in his offer to Mr. McConnell. The language focuses on testing and initiation of treatment specifically during the emergency.

Those of you that have good working relationships with your Senators, We are asking you TODAY (this morning, if possible) to EMAIL and/or CALL any contacts (Senators or Senate Staff) that you have on the Senate side and ask them to support inclusion of pharmacist reimbursement in emergency legislation to respond to COVID-19.  

As COVID-19 spreads, our healthcare system is becoming strained and will struggle to provide adequate care to patients. The United States must immediately expand access to providers, particularly for Medicare beneficiaries who are the most vulnerable to the virus. There are over 309,000 pharmacists in the United States who stand ready to provide care to Medicare patients. We urgently request that you include “The Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act” in emergency legislation so that Medicare patients have appropriate access to pharmacist services. 

March 21, 2020

We just received a companion letter to the House of Representatives that we have the same ask as yesterday’s email.
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ASHP, along with 12 other national organizations, sent the attached PDF letter asking for Medicare reimbursement to be included in emergency legislation responding to COVID-19 to Leader McConnell, Leader Schumer, Senators Grassley, Brown, Collins and Casey earlier today AND TO Speaker Pelosi, Leader Hoyer, Leader McCarthy, Majority Whip Clyburn, Minority Whip Scalise and Representatives Butterfield, Kind, Guthrie, and Reed. Since this will come to a vote this weekend, we ask that your State Affiliate either send the PDF letter to your state’s members of Congress and your state’s members of the House of Representatives stating that your organization supports this to be included in legislation
Pharmacists on the Front Lines of COVID-19 Patient Care: 
A Joint Call to Action

March 20, 2020

Dear Colleagues,
 
This morning, ASHP, together with national pharmacy and provider organizations, released a joint set of policy recommendations critical to addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. 
 
As COVID-19 cases continue to rise dramatically and the supply of qualified healthcare providers becomes limited, pharmacists are at the front lines providing essential patient care services during this public health crisis. However, there is much more that pharmacists can do for their patients and ease the burden on the healthcare system if additional authorities are granted and barriers to access for pharmacist patient care services are removed. 

The joint recommendations set forth four policy areas that will empower pharmacists to fully and effectively support our nation's COVID-19 response and help ensure patients get the treatment they need. These policy areas address authorization to test, treat, and immunize; workforce and workflow issues; shortages and continuity of care; and reimbursement for services and removal of barriers. 
 
Together, the leading pharmacy organizations are urging the U.S. COVID-19 Task Force and appropriate agencies to adopt these and other recommended measures immediately.

These recommendations build on ASHP's federal and state white papers, including our recommendations for expanded scope of practice and payment for COVID-19 testing and treatment and family support for pharmacists and pharmacy personnel who need child or eldercare during the public health emergency. 

I encourage you to review the full report and to share it broadly within your networks. ASHP and our partner organizations will circulate it to federal and state policymakers, as well as other clinician and public health groups working to protect and support healthcare personnel on the front lines of COVID-19 response. 

Thank you for everything you continue to do for your patients and the profession.
 
Sincerely,
  
Paul W. Abramowitz, Pharm.D., Sc.D., (Hon.), FASHP 
ASHP CEO  
to send a personal email to their own members of Congress and House of Representatives asking for Medicare reimbursement to be included in emergency legislation responding to COVID-19.  
Kansas Council of Health-System Pharmacy (KCHP)
p: 314-416-2247 | f: 314-892-1891 | E: kchp@qabs.com | www.kchponline.com