Pharmacist.com | Health Care Reform

Health Care Reform Hub

Providing you with practical information on health care reform, what APhA is doing to keep pharmacists’ important role front and center with decision makers, and simple ways you can participate in the process.

›› Read APhA's Message to Congress
›› Read the Pharmacy Principles for Health Care Reform.

›› APhA member videos answering the question "What would you tell President Obama about the role pharmacists can play in health care reform?"

Post your own video on the APhA YouTube channel

Kaiseredu.com tutorials

›› The Process of Health Reform Legislation

›› Medicare 101: The Basics

›› MTM Activities by State

›› Archive of APhA's Legislative and Regulatory Updates Restricted

›› Become an APhA Advocacy Key Contact

›› APhA2009 Issue Briefs

›› American Pharmacists Association - Political Action Committee

Pharmacy Today HUB on Health Care Reform

›› Fourth-quarter anxiety: Good vibes, but hold the high fives (November 2009)

›› Match point on Capitol Hill (October 2009)

›› Success! MTM makes the cut (September 2009)

›› Devil in the details: Pharmacy’s focus shifts (August 2009)

›› Congress: Pharmacy’s message being heard (July 2009)

›› HCR is moving—Are you? (June 2009)

›› Welcome to the Hub! (May 2009)

What's Happening:
Activities on Capitol Hill and within the Obama administration

›› Merged Senate bill includes MTM, other key pharmacy provisions – Pharmacists required in medical homes, transitional care activities.

›› Senate considers HCR options – If trimmed-down bill is pursued, fate of MTM provisions could depend on comprehensiveness of final bill.

›› House includes MTM in final HCR bill – On day of decision, pharmacy and pharmacists figured prominently in vote.

›› MTM still in as House vote looms – APhA watching pharmacy-related amendments to HCR bill, including ones on reimportation of medications, HSAs.

›› Making of a medical home: Pharmacists on the inside – Providing MTM as part of health care team.

›› Pelosi, House Democrats introduce final HCR bill—including MTM – Affordable Health Care for America Act blends previous House bills; expected to reach House floor late next week.

›› DMEPOS accreditation deadline extended to January 1 – Next steps outlined for pharmacies as Congress considers permanent fix as part of health care reform legislation.

›› Five for five: MTM survives in all HCR bills – Senate Finance Committee approves legislation in barely bipartisan vote; action now moves to merger of various bills for floor votes.

Other Voices:
Health care reform developments in professional journals and other media

›› Cut costs, raise quality: Payment reform top priority in health care, experts say – Health Affairs briefing convenes experts in field to assess strategies for bending the cost curve.

›› Nonadherence top culprit in health care waste – Pharmacists can provide solutions to $290 billion problem.

›› Lower drug prices for Medicare Part D: Health Affairs article offers possibilities – Focusing on Secretary’s lack of negotiating power not the solution, authors argue.

›› CER: What it means in reform debate, future practice – Three NEJM articles weigh the pros and cons of comparative-effectiveness research. Is CER the villain of the piece, or the future hero of health care reform?

›› JAMA: Strategies for implementing universal health care explored – Commentaries discuss philosophies and ideologies framing the health care reform debate while proposing implementation strategies for universal health care.

›› German system provides ideas for American health care reform – Princeton economist Reinhardt provides useful background in testimony, writings.

›› Shared responsibility, Baucus mindset topics of journal articles – Universal coverage costs can’t be dumped on individuals, Americans say in survey; Baucus brings conservative values to HCR debate.

Advocacy Resources

›› Tips for Participating a Townhall Meeting

›› How to Conduct A District Visit (Checklist)

›› A Preceptors Guide for Health Care Reform & Advocacy Learning Experience

›› Join the APhA Advocacy Key Contact Network – Volunteer to make a difference in the profession of pharmacy by becoming a key contact for APhA’s advocacy team.

›› Join APhA's Health Care Reform e-Community – Network and help us organize our HCR efforts into action.

›› APhA Legislative Action Center – Take Action! Learn the status of important legislation and email your Members of Congress directly.

›› A Guide to Writing to Your Members of Congress on Health Care Reform

APhA in Action:
What APhA and organized pharmacy is doing in the realm of health care reform

›› DMEPOS, AMP: APhA monitoring HCR for key fixes – Deadlines pass as pharmacists await Congressional action.

›› MTM occurring across the nation—Interactive map shows you where – Pharmacists wanting to network, providers looking for collaborators, policymakers gauging uptake—everyone finds what they’re looking for on pharmacist.com.

›› APhA provides HCR op-ed template for pharmacists – Advocates can use model in crafting effective HCR letters.

›› APhA leaders, state execs visit the Hill – Baucus bill released: MTM in, public option out.

›› APhA and Health Care Reform

›› Illinois congresswoman’s pharmacy visit opens eyes, doors – Illinois Republican Judy Biggert spends day at local pharmacies, comes away a strong supporter of profession in health care reform.

›› APhA pushes medication adherence – Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) receives letter, co-signed by APhA, urging the inclusion of medication adherence in health care reform legislation.

›› APhA–PAC hosts Ohio’s Rep. Space – Local APhA-PAC governor focuses on health care reform.

Stories Pharmacy Can Tell:
Profiles of pharmacists who are blazing a trail toward a new mode of practice in the profession and how that is helping the patients they serve

›› Alabama pharmacist Main appeals to Obama: Rural pharmacy crucial to patient care – Pharmacy advocates share their stories on healthreform.gov

›› MTM essential in health care reform, UConn’s Hritcko tells President – Pharmacy advocates share their stories on healthreform.gov

›› Kerr opening MTM-only location in Charleston – Maintaining relationships with patients, employers a key motivator keeping clinical staff in area after regional chain decided to end dispensing operations in area.

›› Four life-changing MTM sessions: Crucial information patients need – Pharmacist Cunningham argues for medication therapy management expansion.

›› Meeting Members of Congress: Be prepared, be succinct – Florida’s Lois Adams knows how to “make minutes count” in conversations with lawmakers.

›› U. Washington professors: Pharmacists important to health care reform – Time for health care paradigm to recognize, incorporate pharmacists’ broad expertise, Downing and Odegard write in community newspaper.

›› UCSF Dean calls for health care provider status for pharmacists – Mary Ann Koda-Kimble urges Obama administration to treat pharmacists as health care providers rather than technicians.

›› Kentucky pharmacist intervenes on anticoagulation nonadherence – Pharmacy advocates share their stories on healthreform.gov.

Statements

›› APhA Cosigns Coalition Letter to Congress in Support of MTM and Medication Adherence

›› APhA's Unofficial Summary of the Senate Health Care Reform Proposal

›› APhA Cosigns Pharmacy Letter to House Leadership on AMP in H.R. 3962

›› Updated: APhA's Chart of the Pharmacy Related Provisions in HCR Proposals

›› APhA's Response to House of Representatives on the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962)

›› APhA Letter to Senate Finance & HELP Committees on Merging HCR Bills

›› APhA Cosigns Pharmacy Stakeholders Letter to Senate Leadership on MTM Provisions in Senate's HCR Proposal

›› APhA Letter to Senate Finance Committee on America's Healthy Future Act of 2009