Title: Medicare Clear Health Options in Care for Enrollees Act of 2018
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Medicare Clear Health Options in Care for Enrollees Act of 2018 or the Medicare CHOICE Act of 2018
This bill requires Medicare and Medicare Advantage prescription drug plan (PDP) sponsors to annually disclose information to enrollees about: (1) the adverse effects of prolonged opioid use; and (2) the plan's coverage of nonpharmacological therapies, devices, and non-opioid medications. PDP sponsors may limit disclosure to a subset of enrollees (such as those who were prescribed an opioid in the previous two-year period).

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5686 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5686

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require prescription 
drug plans under Medicare part D to include information on the adverse 
effects of opioid overutilization and of coverage of nonpharmacological 
   therapies and nonopioid medications or devices used to treat pain.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 7, 2018

 Mr. Paulsen (for himself, Mr. Kind, Mr. Collins of New York, and Mr. 
    Lamb) introduced the following bill; which was 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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require prescription 
drug plans under Medicare part D to include information on the adverse 
effects of opioid overutilization and of coverage of nonpharmacological 
   therapies and nonopioid medications or devices used to treat pain.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Medicare Clear Health Options in 
Care for Enrollees Act of 2018'' or the ``Medicare CHOICE Act of 
2018''.

SEC. 2. REQUIRING MEDICARE PART D PRESCRIPTION DRUG PLANS TO INCLUDE 
              INFORMATION ON ADVERSE EFFECTS RELATING TO OPIOIDS AND 
              COVERAGE OF NONPHARMACOLOGICAL THERAPIES AND NONOPIOID 
              MEDICATIONS OR DEVICES USED TO TREAT PAIN.

    Section 1860D-4(a)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-
104(a)(1)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``, subject to 
        subparagraph (C),'' before ``including'';
            (2) in subparagraph (B), by adding at the end the following 
        new clause:
                            ``(vi) For plan year 2021 and each 
                        subsequent plan year, subject to subparagraph 
                        (C), with respect to the treatment of pain--
                                    ``(I) the adverse effects of 
                                prolonged opioid use; and
                                    ``(II) coverage of 
                                nonpharmacological therapies, devices, 
                                and nonopioid medications--
                                            ``(aa) in the case of an 
                                        MA-PD plan under part C, under 
                                        such plan; and
                                            ``(bb) in the case of a 
                                        prescription drug plan under 
                                        such plan and under parts A and 
                                        B.''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
                    ``(C) Targeted provision of information.--A PDP 
                sponsor of a prescription drug plan may, in lieu of 
                disclosing the information described in subparagraph 
                (B)(vi) to each enrollee under the plan, disclose such 
                information through mail or electronic communications 
                to a subset of enrollees under the plan, such as 
                enrollees who have been prescribed an opioid in the 
                previous two-year period.''.
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