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S. 1895 116th Congress Senate

Lower Health Care Costs Act

Official title: A bill to lower health care costs.

Introduced: June 19, 2019 See on congress.gov
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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 5 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jul 8, 2019
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 133.
Jul 8, 2019
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Reported by Senator Alexander with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
Jun 26, 2019
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Jun 19, 2019
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Jun 19, 2019
Introduced in Senate
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 Latest action July 8, 2019

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 133.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Lower Health Care Costs Act

This bill makes a series of changes relating to health care coverage, costs, and services.

Among other things, the bill

  • applies in-network cost-sharing requirements to certain emergency and related nonemergency services that are provided out-of-network, and prohibits health care facilities and practitioners from billing above the applicable in-network cost-sharing rate for such services;
  • revises certain requirements in order to expedite the approval of generics and biosimilars, including requirements relating to citizen petitions, application effective dates, and labeling;
  • requires health care facilities and practitioners to give patients a list of provided services upon discharge and to bill for such services within 45 days;
  • limits prices that pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) may charge health insurers or enrollees for prescription drugs, based on prices paid by PBMs to pharmacies;
  • establishes grant programs to support vaccinations and data modernization; and
  • requires health insurers to make certain information, including estimated out-of-pocket costs, accessible to enrollees through specified technology (e.g., mobile applications).

The bill also makes several additional changes relating to public health, including raising the minimum age to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21.

 Related & companion bills 24
  • HR 965 CREATES Act of 2019
  • HR 2011 Protecting Access to Biosimilars Act of 2019
  • HR 2296 More Efficient Tools to Realize Information for Consumers Act
  • HR 4215 Excellence in Maternal Health Act of 2019
  • HR 4400 Advancing Education on Biosimilars Act of 2019
  • HR 5199 ECHO Act of 2019
  • HR 5304 PBM Transparency in Prescription Drug Costs Act
  • HR 5386 Promoting Better Patient Data Security Act of 2019
  • S 192 Community and Public Health Programs Extension Act
  • S 659 Biologic Patent Transparency Act
Show all 24 related billsShow fewer related bills
  • S 1140 Protecting Access to Biosimilars Act of 2019
  • S 1391 Fair Accountability and Innovative Research Drug Pricing Act of 2019
  • S 1618 ECHO 2019 Act
  • S 1619 VACCINES Act
  • S 1636 Ensuring Innovation Act
  • S 1793 Saving Lives Through Better Data Act
  • S 1805 Better Tools for Healthy Living Act
  • HR 5668 MODERN Labeling Act of 2020
  • S 1897 A bill to establish a process for updating the labeling of certain drugs with outdated labeling.
  • HR 6155 To amend the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act of 2009 to make improvements with respect to the transition…
  • HR 6005 Know the Price Act
  • HR 7898 To amend the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act to require the Secretary of Health and …
  • HR 5321 Public Health Infrastructure Modernization Act of 2019
  • HR 4955 Protecting Access to Safe and Effective Medicines Act of 2019
 Bill text 2 versions

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Cosponsors 2
All 2 Democratic 1 Republican 1
R
Ernst, Joni
Iowa · Jul 16, 2019
 D
Murray, Patty
Washington · Jun 19, 2019
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 1895: Lower Health Care Costs Act. 116th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/116-S-1895/
MLA
"S. 1895: Lower Health Care Costs Act." 116th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/116-S-1895/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 1895, 116th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/116-S-1895/.
Markdown link
[S. 1895: Lower Health Care Costs Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/116-S-1895/)
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