Dive Brief:
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The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives last week introduced bills to designate pharmacists as health care providers.
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If passed and signed into law, the legislation would allow Medicare payments to pharmacists for a range of health care services. The bills enjoy bi-partisan support in both houses.
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Such a move is significant because it could greatly boost the efforts of drugstore retailers like CVS Health, Walgreens, Rite Aid, and others to provide health care services to customers.
Dive Insight:
Pharmacy retail chains — most notably CVS Health, which ended sales of tobacco and rebranded itself last year — are increasingly focused on offering more health and wellness services as well as products. The Affordable Care Act has helped spur that, and this “provider status” bill for pharmacists would likely go far in fortifying it.