Federal House Bill

The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3692, a revised health care reform proposal that blends together the three previous bills passed in July and embodies President Obama's key goals for health reform. Review this document from the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) and the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations (NASPA) summarizing the key pharmacy provisions in the bill. more

Key Pharmacy Issues in Health Care Reform

Utilize the following handouts with talking points on key pharmacy issues when communicating with your member of Congress or discussing health care reform in another arena:

1. Unnecessary DMEPOS Accreditation and Surety Bond Requirements
2. Medicaid Reimbursement Reform
3. Business Negotiation Rights
4. Health Care Reform

Not sure who your member of Congress is? Click here.

Medication Therapy Management

Medication therapy management (MTM) is a key pharmacy component of health care reform. The following are talking points that reinforce the importance of pharmacist-provided MTM and the impact it has on patient care and cost-savings.

• We as pharmacists are committed to our patients and improving their health and well-being. Including pharmacist-led medication therapy management in health care reform puts patients first, keeps them safe and reduces costs.
• Through medication therapy management, we help our patients effectively manage all of their medications and treatments through review, counseling, collaboration with other health professionals and follow up. We appreciate this concept being currently included in the Butterfield House bill amendment.
• Medication therapy management keeps patients safe by ensuring that all of their medications are working properly together and are not dangerously interacting with each other. It also puts patients in the driver’s seat of their health by helping them be proactive in setting therapy goals and pharmacists following up to be sure that patients get the most from their medications.
• Medication therapy management has also been proven to help patients reduce their health care costs, which is so critical in this economy. Patients who are receiving medication therapy management services from their pharmacists are often spending less on medications because a pharmacist is continually making sure their therapy is still effective. Also, patients are more likely to remain committed to their medication regimen, which improves their health and reduces their overall costs by preventing future issues.

Obama Health Care Reform Web site

Sen. Debbie Stabenow's Health Care Reform Online Resource Center
Sen. Stabenow is a member of the Senate Finance Committee, one of the two Committees writing health care reform legislation.