Seniors' Access to Critical Medications Act of 2024
Floor Speech
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. PALLONE.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5526, the Seniors' Access to Critical Medications Act.
This bill amends the Physician Self-Referral Law, also known as the Stark Law, to permit Medicare patients to have their physicians dispense prescription drugs to them in narrow circumstances, either through a caregiver or through a mail courier. Congress enacted the Stark Law to ensure that physician financial considerations do not influence patient care. Under the Stark Law, physicians are prohibited from making referrals to entities in which the physician has a financial stake.
Medicare beneficiaries deserve the independent judgment of their physicians and access to treatment that is medically appropriate and necessary for them. The Stark Law is critical in ensuring that financial arrangements do not distort physician decisionmaking or raise healthcare costs.
Now, current law includes specific and narrowly tailored exceptions such as the in-office ancillary services exception. This exception permits a physician with an ownership stake to provide an outpatient prescription drug or certain services to a patient at his or her office as part of an in-person visit. This is for the convenience of the patient but also because there are more limited program integrity concerns when the item or service is being delivered as part of an in- person office visit.
While I continue to have strong concerns with significantly weakening the Stark Law, I believe there are also limited instances in which it may be necessary for a caregiver or a family member to pick up the prescription drugs for patients or for them to be mailed. I believe there are limited program integrity concerns in these instances.
This narrow Stark exception will help patients receive necessary medications more easily and protects Medicare beneficiaries by ensuring that financial considerations do not influence patient care.
I urge my colleagues to join me in voting ``yes'' on H.R. 5526, and I reserve the balance of my time, Mr. Speaker.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation and urge its passage, and I yield back the balance of my time.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source