Increased patient access to care and lower costs are important goals when it comes to health care. Fortunately, new legislation in Congress would accomplish both goals by expanding access to lower prescription drug copays for many seniors participating in Medicare while also allowing Oregon-owned community pharmacies a more equitable opportunity to serve patients. It has rapidly gained bipartisan backing in Congress and from leading consumer advocates, and Oregon’s full congressional delegation should support the proposal.

Some Medicare drug plans force beneficiaries to either leave the pharmacy of their choice or pay higher out-of-pocket costs. Patient choice and medication access are effectively subjected to the whims of insurance middlemen. Locally owned pharmacies here in Oregon are usually left out of these exclusive arrangements whereby the drug plans and the big chains essentially conspire with one another to limit patients’ access to lower, or “preferred” copays.

For many seniors, particularly in rural areas, this has real consequences. It could mean traveling 20 miles or more to reach a “preferred” pharmacy or paying more out of pocket to stick with a more convenient provider. To put this in perspective, according to Medicare’s Plan Finder website, under the Humana Enhanced and the Humana Preferred Rx plans, there are no “preferred” pharmacies within 39 miles of Florence, yet residents of the town live on average within one mile of five different pharmacies.

H.R. 4577, the Ensuring Seniors Access to Local Pharmacies Act, addresses these access issues. It is bipartisan legislation that was introduced by Congressmen Morgan Griffith, R-Va., and Peter Welch, D-Vt., and has earned the support of 58 additional congressional co-sponsors from across the political spectrum, including Congressman Peter DeFazio from the Oregon delegation.

The bill also has demonstrable support by consumers. Organizations such as the Medicare Rights Center, National Rural Health Association, National Grange and Consumers Union have all voiced support for H.R. 4577. A recent survey by the polling firm Penn, Schoen and Berland found 76 percent of likely voters support this legislation, Republicans, Democrats and Independents alike.

The legislation receives such overwhelming support for good reason: It would expand seniors’ access to medications and discounted copays at any pharmacy located in a medically underserved area so long as the pharmacy accepted the plan’s terms and conditions. This addresses pharmacy access concerns in our most vulnerable areas, ones defined as medically underserved or suffering from a shortage of health care professionals. Many of my fellow pharmacists are ready and willing to accept the terms and conditions of prescription drug plans if given the opportunity to do so. That puts the choice in the hands of seniors, not the insurance companies.

In addition, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) — the agency that runs Medicare — has stated that allowing any pharmacy willing to participate as a “preferred” pharmacy is the best way to promote competition and lower costs.

I urge every member of the Oregon congressional delegation to cosponsor H.R. 4577, particularly Rep. Greg Walden, who is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has extensive jurisdiction over the bill. I further urge Sen. Ron Wyden, as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, to introduce a Senate counterpart to the House bill.

Let’s not miss this opportunity to give Medicare beneficiaries and their caregivers more choice and access while allowing our locally owned small business pharmacies a chance to compete.

— Michele Belcher is owner of Grants Pass Pharmacy and is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Community Pharmacists Association.