Skip to main content
HR 3707 108th Congress House Health Commerce Cost control Drug industry Drugs Government Operations and Politics Medicare Prescription pricing Social Welfare

Medicare's Equitable Drugs for Seniors Act of 2004

Introduced: January 20, 2004 See on congress.gov
 Everywhere this bill has been 4 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Feb 3, 2004
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Jan 23, 2004
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Jan 20, 2004
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Jan 20, 2004
Introduced in House
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Medicare's Equitable Drugs for Seniors Act of 2004 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, to repeal provisions prohibiting the Secretary of Health and Human Services from: (1) interfering with the negotiations between drug manufacturers and pharmacies and prescription drug plan sponsors; and (2) requiring a particular formulary to institute a price structure for the reimbursement of covered Medicare part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) drugs.

Grants the Secretary instead, in order to ensure that beneficiaries enrolled under prescription drug plans and Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans pay the lowest possible price, authority similar to that of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Secretary of Defense, and the heads of other Federal agencies and departments that purchase prescription drugs in bulk to negotiate contracts with manufacturers of covered Medicare part D drugs, consistent with the requirements and in furtherance of the goals of providing quality care and containing costs under such part.

What's happening now February 3, 2004

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

 Committees of jurisdiction 4