New Bipartisan Law Will Preserve Rural Access to Health Care
Bipartisan legislation will safeguard independent pharmacies that rural communities rely on
ALAMOSA, CO – Governor Jared Polis yesterday signed bipartisan legislation into law to preserve access to pharmacies and health care in rural communities.
“Health care access in rural communities is already limited, and this law works to preserve the local pharmacies that Coloradans rely on,” said Rep. Meghan Lukens, D-Steamboat Springs. “From regular prescription refills to immunizations, pharmacies are a lifeline in our communities. This bipartisan law aims to maintain health care access for Coloradans in our part of the state by establishing fair reimbursement rates for rural pharmacies. It also permits telehealth for rural pharmacies to make it easier and less expensive for Coloradans to get the health care they need.”
“Independent rural pharmacies are so important to the people who live in the rural and mountain communities that I represent. They rely on them for essential services like prescription refills, medical supplies, immunizations, and so much more,” said Sen. Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco. “This bipartisan law will ensure fair reimbursement rates and audit recovery practices so that drug delivery for independent and rural pharmacies are adequate enough to level the playing field against corporate health care giants and safeguard essential health services.”
HB25-1222, also sponsored by Assistant Minority Leader Ty Winter, R-Trinidad, and Senator Cleave Simpson, R-Alamosa, helps preserve access to rural health care by:
Ensuring a fair reimbursement for rural independent pharmacies,
Allowing the delivery of drugs by rural independent pharmacies to underserved communities,
Clarifying fair audit recovery practices so rural independent pharmacies don’t close, and
Allowing remote prescription evaluations for pharmacies to improve accessibility for Coloradans.
For Coloradans living in rural communities, these modifications will maintain access to vital prescriptions and health care services close to home without having to travel long distances or face unnecessary delays.