What They Are Saying: Ways & Means Policies Expand and Protect Access to Health Care for Seniors, Rural and Underserved Communities

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Seniors on Medicare will have better and more secure access to quality health care services – including critical kidney care – thanks to legislation recently approved by the Ways and Means Committee. Under the Main Street Pharmacy Access Act (H.R. 3164), pharmacists will be allowed to receive Medicare reimbursements for administering tests and treatments for common respiratory illnesses like strep throat, influenza, and RSV. With 90 percent of Americans living within five miles of a pharmacy, pharmacists are often the closest health care option available to patients – particularly those living in rural and underserved communities.

The current Medicare physician payment system is outdated and unpredictable – undermining access to care by making it harder for doctors to maintain independent practices and provide patients with more choices and lower cost care. The Provider Reimbursement Stability Act of 2026 (H.R. 8163) modernizes the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule to ensure predictable Medicare reimbursements are made for health care services provided by independent physicians.

Despite home dialysis resulting in faster recovery times, fewer side effects, improved cardiac status, and increased life expectancy, today only 15 percent of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients use home dialysis. The Improving Home Dialysis Act of 2026 (H.R. 8875) will allow more patients seeking dialysis treatments for kidney disease to receive staff-assisted dialysis treatments and renal mental health services in the comfort and convenience of their home – helping to equalize access to support services between home and clinic settings.

More than two dozen organizations and entities representing pharmacists, physicians, and others fighting to improve the quality of care are expressing strong support for the committee’s work.

H.R. 3164, Main Street Pharmacy Access Act

Future of Pharmacy Care Coalition (FPCC)

“We applaud the Committee for recognizing the critical role pharmacists play in care delivery and for advancing legislation to help ensure that America’s seniors have the same access as other beneficiaries to essential pharmacist services, including testing and treatment for common respiratory conditions, in alignment with state scope of practice laws. We especially thank Chairman Jason Smith, Congressman Adrian Smith, and Congressman Brad Schneider for their leadership in advancing this important legislation.” – FPCC

American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)

“Today, we applaud the House Ways and Means Committee’s passage of the Main Street Pharmacy Access Act, which takes a major step forward in safeguarding access to pharmacist care for seniors. ASHP calls for swift passage by the House and Senate of this important legislation.” – Samuel V. Calabrese, Executive Vice President and CEO, ASHP

American Pharmacists Association (APhA)

“On behalf of our nation’s over 300,000 pharmacists serving seniors, rural Americans, and vulnerable communities across the country, we stand together in strong support of H.R. 3164, the Main Street Pharmacy Access Act, introduced by Rep. Adrian Smith (NE-3). This common-sense legislation represents an important step toward improving access to care for Medicare beneficiaries, particularly in rural and underserved communities where pharmacists often serve as one of the most accessible health care providers, which is vital to keeping patients out of expensive emergency rooms, saving taxpayer funds, and strengthening our nation’s public health infrastructure.” – APhA

Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP)

“If signed into law, the Act would extend certain provisions put in place during the public health emergency that have been a critical lifeline for millions of patients. The bill would also establish coverage and reimbursement under Medicare Part B to enable and empower pharmacists to perform vital services in their communities for beneficiaries of these programs.” – Adam Colborn, Vice President, Government Affairs, AMCP

Kroger

“On behalf of The Kroger Co. (“Kroger”), we write in strong support of H.R. 3164, the Main Street Pharmacy Access Act, and urge quick passage of this vital legislation. H.R. 3164 is the product of thoughtful discussions from legislators and stakeholders, which has resulted in a widely supported, bipartisan, and bicameral piece of legislation.” – Kroger

Cencora

“Cencora strongly supports the bipartisan Main Street Pharmacy Access Act (H.R. 3164), which would provide reimbursement for essential pharmacist services under Medicare Part B. Community pharmacists are the most accessible health care providers in the country — nearly nine in 10 Americans live within five miles of a pharmacy. For 58 million Medicare beneficiaries, pharmacists serve as trusted health navigators: managing chronic conditions, addressing infectious disease threats, and helping prevent unnecessary hospitalizations.” – Tim Cernohous, SVP & President, Cencora

Walmart

“This legislation reflects what patients across the country already know: pharmacists are among the most accessible healthcare providers in our system. Increasing access to pharmacist-provided services, especially in rural and underserved areas, can improve health outcomes, strengthen continuity of care, and help seniors receive timely, convenient care.” – Kevin Host, SVP, Walmart

Walgreens

“Walgreens strongly supports the Main Street Pharmacy Access Act and applauds the House Ways and Means Committee for advancing this important bipartisan legislation. This legislation represents an important step toward ensuring Medicare beneficiaries can continue to rely on pharmacists for essential testing, treatment, and other clinically appropriate services within their scope of practice. By recognizing and reimbursing pharmacists for the care they are trained and authorized to provide, Congress can help strengthen the health care system, improve access, and better prepare communities for current and future public health needs.” – Rick Gates, SVP and Chief Pharmacy Officer, Walgreens

National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS)

“The Main Street Pharmacy Access Act is a pragmatic, patient-centered solution that leverages pharmacy access for better health and cost-effective care. Today, seniors in Medicare are deprived of access to pharmacist-provided services that their state laws already allow, because pharmacists are overlooked as eligible healthcare providers in the Social Security Act. This gap disproportionately harms older adults, rural communities, and underserved populations who rely most on pharmacies as their accessible point of care. Pharmacies remain the most accessible healthcare destinations in the country, with a pharmacy located within five miles of 90 percent of Americans, and patients consistently rely on pharmacists for convenient, community-based care.” – Steven C. Anderson, President and CEO, NACDS

McKesson

“H.R. 3164 would establish Medicare Part B reimbursement for essential pharmacist-provided services for seniors, including testing and treatment for common infectious diseases such as influenza, RSV, strep throat, and COVID-19. These services are already authorized under state law in many jurisdictions, and this bill would ensure that Medicare beneficiaries have access to these services close to home.” – McKesson

H.R. 8163, Provider Reimbursement Stability Act

American Medical Association (AMA)

“Physicians are grateful that the House Ways and Means Committee took a major step in curing a flawed budget policy that results in physicians facing Medicare cuts every year. Without reform, the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule produces a year-end budget mashup that injects uncertainty in physician practices due to the requirement that the fee schedule remain budget neutral. These cuts threaten the viability of practices, especially in rural and underserved communities.” – AMA

50 State Medical Societies & 70 Physician Specialty Groups

“This legislation represents a necessary step toward building a more rational, predictable Medicare physician payment system that preserves patient access to care and reflects the true cost of delivering high-quality medical services. Medicare physician payment has eroded dramatically over the past two decades…These persistent payment cuts have real consequences for patient access to physician services. This important legislation directly addresses the structural flaws driving these outcomes and advances several targeted, complementary reforms to improve the stability and accuracy of the MPFS.” – AMA-led Letter Signed by 50 State Medical Societies and 70 Physician Specialty Groups

American Academy of Dermatology Association (AADA)

“H.R. 8163 raises the outdated budget neutrality threshold in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). Additionally, indexing the budget neutrality threshold to inflation and capping variances in the conversion factor act as guardrails against volatile changes in payment. This legislation will help stabilize the Medicare physician payment system thereby helping physicians keep their doors open to continue providing lifesaving care for patients.” – Murad Alam, President, AADA

American College of Physicians (ACP)

“This critical legislation would enhance access to care for Medicare beneficiaries and enable independent physician practices to remain financially viable. This is especially important for rural and underserved communities, where the number of independent physician practices has declined significantly over the last several decades. The decline of independent physician practices across the country has led to patients forgoing care, traveling for hours to seek care, and waiting months to see their physicians.” – Jason M. Goldman, President, ACP

American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)

“The most critical issue facing healthcare providers is the uncertainty and instability of the current structure of the Medicare payment system. With declining or flat payment rates, and the rapidly increasing cost of owning and operating a healthcare practice, APTA is deeply concerned that many therapy providers are considering closing their doors unless reforms to the MPFS, such as H.R. 8163, are swiftly enacted.” – Justin Elliott, Vice President, Government Affairs, APTA

American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA)

“The Provider Reimbursement Stability Act would take important steps to modernize Medicare payment policy. By improving the accuracy of payment adjustments, updating outdated thresholds, and limiting significant year-to-year swings, the bill would help create a more predictable and sustainable reimbursement framework.” – AAPA

Large Urology Group Practice Association (LUGPA)

“On behalf of the Large Urology Group Practice Association (LUGPA), which represents more than 2,500 urologists practicing in independent, integrated, physician-led group practices across the country, we write to express our strong support for the Provider Reimbursement Stability Act (H.R. 8163).” – LUGPA

Strategic Radiology

“Independent doctors need a Medicare payment system that is both stable and predictable. Repeated cuts and sudden payment changes make it harder to recruit physicians, invest in technology, and support hospital partners, while adding to the pressures driving physicians toward non-physician led consolidation. The Ways & Means Committee’s bipartisan passage of the Provider Reimbursement Stability Act is an important step toward providing independent practices the stability they need to remain independent and preserve patient access to high-quality care.” – Scott Bundy, MD, FACR, CEO and Chair, Strategic Radiology

H.R. 8875, Improving Home Dialysis Act of 2026

Renal Healthcare Association (RHA)

“On behalf of the Renal Healthcare Association (RHA), I am writing to express my gratitude for the committee’s and Representative Miller’s work on expanding patient access to home dialysis where medically appropriate. H.R. 8875, the ‘Improving Home Dialysis Act of 2026,’ recognizes the additional resources needed to help patients successfully start and maintain home dialysis.” – Bridget Pfaff, President, RHA

The National Kidney Foundation (NKF)

“More than a half million Americans rely on dialysis to stay alive, yet many patients who could benefit from home dialysis face significant barriers. The National Kidney Foundation welcomes this important first step towards making this critical treatment option more accessible. We commend Rep. Carol Miller and the Ways and Means Committee for their leadership on this issue. This legislation also builds on the bipartisan foundation laid by the first Trump Administration’s Advancing American Kidney Health Initiative, which set an ambitious national goal to increase home dialysis — a commitment we are glad to see carried forward.” – Jesse Roach, SVP of Government Relations, NKF

Nonprofit Kidney Care Alliance (NKCA)

“On behalf of the Nonprofit Kidney Care Alliance (NKCA), we commend the House Committee on Ways & Means for holding a markup on H.R. 8875, The Improving Home Dialysis Act of 2026. This important bill is a vital step forward to removing barriers to home dialysis in our country and is an important piece of the Committee’s ongoing work raising awareness and addressing kidney health policy needs.” – Monica Massaro, Executive Director, NKCA

Kidney Care Partners (KCP)

“We are encouraged by the Ways & Means Committee’s continued bipartisan focus on policies aimed at expanding access to home dialysis and appreciate the continued leadership of Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO), Ranking Member Richard Neal (D-MA), Rep. Carol Miller (R-WV) and Members of the Committee in advancing policies to strengthen dialysis care options for Medicare beneficiaries. We support and look forward to working collaboratively with lawmakers to ensure the advancement of H.R. 8875, which represents an important milestone in the Committee’s long history of building clinical and social supports for individuals in kidney failure.” – LaVarne Burton, Chairwoman, KCP

Boehringer Ingelheim

“Boehringer commends the Committee’s leadership in advancing policies that expand access to home dialysis, strengthen patient choice, and modernize kidney care delivery. Home-based modalities offer clear benefits to patients, including greater flexibility, improved quality of life, and reduced reliance on facility-based care.” – Boehringer Ingelheim

Alliance for Home Dialysis

“The Alliance for Home Dialysis thanks Chairman Jason Smith, Representative Carol Miller, and members of the House Ways and Means Committee for continuing their work to support patients with kidney failure and advance policies that empower patients and make home dialysis more accessible.” – Margaret French, Managing Director, Alliance for Home Dialysis

Kidney Care Council (KCC)

“This legislation would establish a Medicare service for Staff-Assisted Home Dialysis Respite Care, allowing qualified healthcare professionals to assist patients in their homes when they are temporarily unable to independently perform the home dialysis procedure. H.R. 8875 would allow patients the opportunity to dialyze using their home dialysis modality even when a temporary barrier to completing the home treatment independently arises.” – KCC

U.S. Renal Care (USRC)

“On behalf of U.S. Renal Care, I am pleased to see the Committee tackling issues of importance to individuals with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The hearing held on March 18, 2026, started an important conversation about how to support the expansion of home dialysis and evolve our health care system into one that incentivizes medical innovation for dialysis patients.” – Francine F. Attrill, Vice President, USRC

America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP)

“The Improving Home Dialysis Act would help promote competition and patient choice. The pathway to choosing where and how to access dialysis can sometimes be difficult for patients and their loved ones. Not all patients have access to the same choices for their dialysis care, especially underserved populations and those in rural areas. Self-dialysis, including peritoneal dialysis and home hemodialysis, is a safe and effective treatment option for patients with permanent kidney failure, offering logistical, economic, and quality-of-life benefits.” – AHIP