# Plain Language Summary: Ensuring Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act

This bill expands what pharmacists can do and get paid for under Medicare, the federal health insurance program for people 65 and older. Right now, Medicare primarily covers pharmacists filling prescriptions. This bill would allow pharmacists to provide certain medical services directly to Medicare patients and have Medicare pay for those services, similar to how Medicare pays doctors.

The specific services pharmacists could provide under this bill are limited to testing and treating patients for COVID-19, flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and strep throat. Pharmacists could also provide services related to public health emergencies declared by the federal government. However, these services would only be covered if state law allows pharmacists to provide them, and in many cases, the pharmacist would need to work under a doctor's supervision or in collaboration with a physician or other healthcare provider, depending on what each state requires.

When Medicare pays for these pharmacist services, it would cover 80 percent of the cost, with patients responsible for the remaining 20 percent—the same cost-sharing structure Medicare uses for most doctor visits. For services addressing public health emergencies, Medicare would cover the full cost with no patient payment. The bill also prevents pharmacists from "balance billing," which means they can't charge patients extra money beyond what Medicare pays and the patient's share.

These changes would take effect on January 1, 2026, giving states and the healthcare system time to prepare. The practical effect is that patients could potentially get tested and treated for common illnesses at their pharmacy without needing a separate doctor's appointment, though the extent of this depends on what each state allows pharmacists to do.