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S 2650 116th Congress Senate Health Administrative remedies Advisory bodies Department of Health and Human Services Medicare Prescription drugs Public contracts and procurement

Medicare Prescription Drug Savings and Choice Act of 2019

Introduced: October 21, 2019 Introduced by: Durbin, Richard J. Democratic · Illinois See on congress.gov
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 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Oct 21, 2019
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text: CR S5924-5925)
Oct 21, 2019
Introduced in Senate
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Medicare Prescription Drug Savings and Choice Act of 2019

This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to establish at least one prescription drug plan that is operated by Medicare.

Among other things, the plan must (1) serve the entire United States; and (2) be the default plan for enrollees under the Medicare prescription drug benefit, unless the enrollee chooses another plan.

Additionally, the CMS must negotiate prices for prescription drugs that are covered under the plan and, if appropriate, encourage the use of more affordable therapeutic equivalents. (Currently, the CMS is prohibited from negotiating the prices of covered drugs under the Medicare prescription drug benefit.) The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality must assess the clinical benefits of drugs and make recommendations to the CMS regarding price negotiations, based on specified information (e.g., comparable international prices).

What's happening now October 21, 2019

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text: CR S5924-5925)

 Committees of jurisdiction 1