Access to healthcare in rural Idaho is critical, which is why I’m concerned about a serious problem facing our long-term care communities. Because of changes in drug pricing, as of January 1st, we may see 60% of long-term care pharmacies close.

Long-term (LTC) care pharmacies provide specialized services that federal law requires for nursing home and assisted living residents. In rural Idaho, there are 71,844 Medicare beneficiaries, and just four of the 25 LTC pharmacies operate in rural communities. When you're dealing with distances measured in dozens of miles and limited alternatives, losing even one pharmacy can leave hundreds of seniors without access to medications and required services.

H.R. 5031 provides a reasonable solution. It establishes a thirty-dollar supplemental supply fe

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