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Anthem to Recognize Pharmacists as Providers in KY Network

Anthem to Recognize Pharmacists as Providers in Kentucky Network 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Jessica Mohler 
Director of Communications 
Kentucky Pharmacists Association 
859-494-2034 
jmohler@kphanet.org 
 
Anthem to Recognize Pharmacists as Providers in Kentucky Network 
 
Frankfort, Kentucky (October 21, 2022) – Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield acknowledged this week that they will begin accepting applications to enroll Kentucky pharmacists as providers for their commercial health plans within the state.  
As a result, Anthem members in Kentucky will soon be able to seek care at those pharmacies enrolled as in-network providers. According to Dr. Trish Freeman, Director of the Center for the Advancement of Pharmacy Practice at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, pharmacists have been able to provide protocol-driven care, such as flu and strep testing, tobacco cessation, immunizations, and many other services within their scope of practice for several years. However, many of these services have been limited to patients willing to pay out-of-pocket because health plans would not cover the service provided within the pharmacy setting. 

“We are excited for the opportunity for patients to gain access to pharmacist-driven care in Kentucky,” said Dr. Misty Stutz, President of the Kentucky Pharmacists Association. Stutz, the Dean of the Sullivan University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, also shared, “We are thankful for the work of our pharmacist colleague in the Kentucky General Assembly, Rep Danny Bentley, for sponsoring House Bill 48 in 2021.”  
HB48 required Kentucky health plans to reimburse pharmacists for services within a pharmacist's scope of practice and are otherwise covered by the plan if provided by another healthcare provider. “The news today that Anthem is finally launching the program, as defined in HB 48 2021, is welcome. Pharmacies have been providing these services for decades. They'll begin being compensated for services they have rendered their entire career,” declares Rep Bentley, “I look forward to other insurance companies abiding by state law as defined by HB48.” Kentucky is one of the first states in the country to pass this type of legislation, and Anthem is one of the first health plans to comply with the new law.  
Pharmacists interested in enrolling in the network should contact kyprovidercontracting@anthem.com to request an application and seek further guidance. 
 
About the Kentucky Pharmacists Association 
The Kentucky Pharmacists Association (KPhA) is the largest professional organization representing pharmacists in the Commonwealth and has been serving its members since 1879. The mission of KPhA is to advocate and advance the pharmacy profession to improve the health of Kentuckians. For more information, visit www.kphanet.org

About The Center for the Advancement of Pharmacy Practice 
The University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy established the Center for the Advancement of Pharmacy Practice (CAPP) to transform pharmacy practice within the state and the nation. Through research, education, engagement, and scholarship, the Center will facilitate the creation and translation of novel care delivery models within pharmacy practice that improve medication use and health outcomes. For more information, visit https://pharmacy.uky.edu/office-research-operations/cornerstones/research-centers/capp.  
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