Congressman Peters Signs on as Cosponsor of H.R. 4190 (Provider Status Bill)

Thanks to the advocacy and education efforts of Dr. David Kalis and the Michigan Pharmacists Association (MPA) Pharmacy Advocacy Response Team this week, Congressman Gary Peters has now signed on as a cosponsor of House Resolution (H.R.) 4190.

Pictured (left to right): Larry Wagenknecht, pharmacist, MPA chief executive officer; Pang Hang, P2 student pharmacist, Wayne State University Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences; Amanda Lick, M.A., MPA manager of advocacy, governmental and regulatory affairs; Congressman Gary Peters; Ashley Builta, Pharm.D., MPA fellow; and David Kalis, M.S., former director of pharmacy and residency program director, St. Joseph Mercy Oakland.

H.R. 4190 (provider status bill), introduced in March 2014 in the U.S. House of Representatives, would allow for pharmacists to bill Medicare Part B for services provided to patients who need access to health care the most, specifically patients who reside in medically underserved or health professional shortage areas and those who are part of a medically underserved population.

Michigan has 14 congressional leaders in the U. S. House of Representatives. As of Sept. 19, four of the 14 have signed on as cosponsors of H.R. 4190: Congresswoman Candice Miller, Congressman Mike Rogers, Congressman Kerry Bentivolio and Congressman Gary Peters.

We need you to keep the momentum going!

If you haven’t already done so, please take the time to read H.R. 4190 and contact your Congressional Representative and encourage them to sign on as cosponsor of H.R. 4190. If your Congressional leader is one of the four who have already signed on, please call and thank them for their support! If you are unsure of who represents your Congressional district or to access contact information for your Congressional leader, visit MPA’s legislative directory online.

MPA is here to help. Please contact Amanda Lick, MPA manager of advocacy, governmental and regulatory affairs, with any questions you may have at Amanda@MichiganPharmacists.org or (517) 377-0254.