Advocating for Patient Access to Critical Medications

This past week, I met with representatives from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) alongside my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee. We discussed the consequences of CMS' decision to end a policy that allows for independent physicians to mail medications directly to their patients or have them delivered by a family member or caregiver if a Medicare patient was unable to be present in the office.

This policy is especially harmful to patients in rural areas where a trip to the doctor might be a long journey, and puts those who have unreliable transportation or health conditions that make it unsafe to travel at risk.

It will create an unacceptable hurdle for patients in need of vital medications, including many cancer patients, to receive their prescriptions promptly from their healthcare provider. I will continue to fight against this policy that restricts a patient's access to critical medications.