Congress: Cosponsor H.R. 5031 / S. 3159 to Preserve Patient Access to LTC Pharmacies

In an important new development, Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) and co-lead Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) have introduced S. 3159, the Senate companion to H.R. 5031, the Preserving Patient Access to Long-Term Care Pharmacies Act.

This critical “LTC Pharmacy Fix” legislation will ensure patient access to essential medications and pharmacy services when new Medicare-negotiated drug prices take effect on January 1, 2026.

We need your help to continue building cosponsor support in both the House and Senate to ensure the bill is positioned for passage in a year-end package. Please ask your U.S. Representative and Senators to cosponsor H.R. 5031 / S. 3159 today.

We also encourage you to personalize the message by adding your name, company name, location, employee count and patients served.

Dear [Lawmaker],

I am writing with urgency to support our state’s long-term care (LTC) pharmacies – critical healthcare providers that ensure seniors in nursing homes, assisted living and other long-term care settings receive the right medications, safely and on-time. LTC pharmacies provide specialized services, including 24/7 medication management, unit-dose packaging, and consultant pharmacist oversight, which are all essential to high-quality resident care and safe medication use.

We support the goal of lowering drug costs for seniors. However, without a targeted fix, the new Medicare Part D pricing policies taking effect on January 1, 2026 will have devastating, unintended consequences for LTC pharmacies, patients and the facilities that depend on them. Because LTC residents are overwhelmingly covered by Medicare Part D, and LTC pharmacies are only reimbursed for the cost of the drug—not for the federally required services they provide— many will face unsustainable losses. Up to 60% could be forced to close, leaving facilities without access to qualified LTC pharmacy partners and putting compliance, safety, and continuity of care at risk.

That’s why I urge you to co-sponsor the Preserving Patient Access to Long-Term Care Pharmacies Act (H.R. 5031 / S. 3159), introduced by Reps. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) and Brad Schneider (D-IL) in the House and now Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) and co-lead Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) in the Senate. This bicameral legislation is urgently needed to prevent a crisis that threatens access to care for more than two million seniors.

H.R. 5031 / S. 3159 would create a targeted, two-year supply fee on drugs subject to Medicare-negotiated prices—modeled after an existing Medicare Part B supply fee—to offset losses and help LTC pharmacies continue serving residents with complex medication needs.

The legislation is strongly supported by leading national organizations, including the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), LeadingAge, Argentum, Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition (SCPC), National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) and American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP).

We cannot afford to lose the specialized pharmacies that our state’s most vulnerable patients depend on. Please support and co-sponsor H.R. 5031/S. 3159 and help ensure it is included in any year-end legislative package.

Thank you for your consideration and for your commitment to protecting access to high-quality care for seniors.

Sincerely,
______

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