"Local pharmacies are a critical ingredient in the health delivery system in communities across the country. However, your existence is often dependent upon Medicare and Medicaid policies, and I know these issues are a top concern for your industry.

"You probably want to know what is going to happen with health care reform this year. The Senate Finance Committee is currently moving at a breakneck speed to get a bill ready for a mark up in June. The HELP Committee is moving on a parallel track to produce its portion of this massive overhaul legislation. As a member of both committees, I’m concerned about the consequences, both intended and unintended, of this huge undertaking. I have had a front row seat from which to warn against ‘what lurks under the banner of reform,’especially reform passed in such a hasty manner.

"I support extending meaningful access to quality health care to all Americans. I don’t support achieving this on the backs of health care providers like you. I don’t support expanding access to health insurance at the expense of access to health care. And, I am committed to protecting the patient-provider relationship from faceless Washington bureaucrats who would curtail needed care in the name of cost containment.

"Some of the ideas that are being discussed, like the government-run insurance plan option, have the potential to destroy the private health care market, leaving Washington to control everything from provider reimbursement rates, to coverage decisions, to quality standards. As with all one-size-fits-all policies coming out of Washington, I fear that such a government monopoly over the health care sector will have grave consequences for patients and providers, particularly in rural America. With many in the Congress signaling their willingness to utilize the budget reconciliation process to steamroll the opposition, the potential for mistakes to be made and legitimate concerns to be ignored is multiplied.

"Kansans have a lot of good ideas for reforming our health care system. Our pharmacists have a lot of good ideas for reform as well. My message to anyone who will listen is ‘let’s take our time and do this right.’ Let’s carefully consider ideas on Health Information Technology and Medical Home models to ensure that pharmacists can meaningfully participate. Let’s think through the consequences of Comparative Effectiveness Research and Generic Biologics policies on the future of medical innovation and improvement in this country."

Senator Roberts is a member of the Senate Finance Committee, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and is Co-Chairman of the Senate Rural Health Caucus.

-30-