,i  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #degg  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,may #f1 #bjad ,mr4  
,griffith of ,virginia 7for himself and 
,mr4 ,welch7 introduced the following   
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce1 and
 in addition to the ,committee on ,ways 
and ,means1 for a period to be          
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to amend title ,,xviii of   
the ,social ,security ,act to ensure    
equal access of ,medicare beneficiaries 
to community pharmacies in underserved  
areas as network pharmacies under       
,medicare prescription drug coverage1   
and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,ensuring ,seniors ,access to ,local    
,pharmacies ,act of #bjad4  #b4         
,allowing any willing pharmacy serving  
an underserved area to become a network 

pharmacy under ,medicare prescription   
drug coverage  7a7 ,in general ,section 
#ahfj;,d-#d7;b77#a77;,b7 of the ,social 
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#aciew-#ajd7;b77#a77;,b77 is amended--  
7#a7 by striking ,discounts allowed for 
network pharmacies4--,for and inserting 
the following3  ,discounts allowed for  
network pharmacies4-- 7i7 ,in general   
,for  2 and  7#b7 by adding at the end  
the following new clause3  7ii7         
,inclusion of pharmacies located in     
underserved areas in networks ,in the   
case of a prescription drug plan that   
has1 in its network of pharmacies1 one  
or more pharmacies located in a health  
professional shortage area 7as defined  
in section #ccb7;a77#a77;,a7 of the     
,public ,health ,service ,act71 in a    
medically underserved area 7according to
 a designation under section            
#ccj7;b77#c77;,a7 of the ,public ,health
 ,service ,act71 or among a medically   
underserved population 7as defined in   
such section #ccj7;b77#c77;,a7 of such  

,act71 and that provides a reduction in 
coinsurance or copayments described in  
clause 7i7 for covered part ,d drugs    
dispensed through such pharmacies1 such 
plan shall extend to any pharmacy       
located in such area or among such      
population the option to be an          
in-network pharmacy with respect to such
 plan under terms and conditions        
7including the reductions described in  
clause 7i77 comparable to those the plan
 has agreed upon with other in-network  
pharmacies located in such area or among
 such population4  4  7b7 ,effective    
date ,the amendments made by this       
section shall apply to plan years       
beginning on or after ,january #a1      
#bjaf4