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HR 6649 116th Congress House

Lower Drug Costs for Seniors During COVID-19 Act of 2020

Official title: To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for cost-spreading for certain fills and refills of drugs under part D of the Medicare program during the COVID-19 emergency.

Introduced: May 1, 2020 Introduced by: Schakowsky, Janice D. Democratic · Illinois See on congress.gov
Health Cardiovascular and respiratory healthEmergency medical services and trauma careHealth care costs and insuranceInfectious and parasitic diseases
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MedicarePrescription drugs
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This bill died when the 116th Congress ended
It never became law before the 116th Congress (2019–2020) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
May 1, 2020
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.
May 1, 2020
Introduced in House
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 Latest action May 1, 2020

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.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Lower Drug Costs for Seniors During COVID-19 Act of 2020

This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to establish a process for prescription drug plans under Medicare and Medicare Advantage to allow enrollees to make coinsurance payments in periodic installments, if the enrollee chooses to obtain the entire prescribed supply of a covered drug in a single fill. Current law allows an enrollee, during the public health emergency relating to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), to obtain the entire prescribed supply of a covered drug in a single fill or refill, up to a 90-day supply.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
 Cosponsors 1
All 1 Democratic 1
D
Chu, Judy
California · May 1, 2020
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 6649: Lower Drug Costs for Seniors During COVID-19 Act of 2020. 116th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-6649/
MLA
"H.R. 6649: Lower Drug Costs for Seniors During COVID-19 Act of 2020." 116th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-6649/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 6649, 116th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-6649/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 6649: Lower Drug Costs for Seniors During COVID-19 Act of 2020](https://openamerica.io/bill/116-HR-6649/)
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