S. 2426 · 119th Congress

Adds permanent Medicare coverage of pharmacist testing and treatment for common infections

Official title: Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act1

Never got a floor voteMedicare coverage of new tests and services

§1What it does

Why this matters: A plain-English description of the bill as it was voted on, written by us from the official summary and text.

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

This bill would permanently allow Medicare to cover testing and treatment services that pharmacists provide for COVID-19, flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and strep throat, along with services for other public health needs during a declared public health emergency.2,3 Similar coverage was allowed temporarily during the COVID-19 public health emergency, and pharmacists would have to stay within what their state's laws allow them to do.2

§2Status

StatusLatest action, July 24, 2025: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text: CR S4701)1
IntroducedJuly 24, 2025
SponsorSen. Thune, John [R-SD]
Cosponsors33 cosponsors (17 Democratic, 16 Republican)
Official recordS. 2426 on Congress.gov

§3It never got a vote

Why this matters: This bill had wide support from both parties, but it never reached the House or Senate floor, so no member of Congress was ever recorded voting for or against it.

Latest action, July 24, 2025: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text: CR S4701)1 How bills die without a vote.

2026 candidates who sponsored or cosponsored it (10)