Medicare Extension of Drugs to Seniors (MEDS) Act of 2003

Bill: 108-hr-2498
Sponsor: Rep. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT-At Large]
Introduced: 2003-06-17 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Access to health care
Administrative procedure
Administrative remedies
Ambulatory care
Auditing
Business records
Capitation (Medical care)
Catastrophic health insurance
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Coinsurance
Commerce
Competitive bidding
Congress
Congressional investigations
Congressional reporting requirements
Consumer education
Cost control
Counterfeiting
Crime and Law Enforcement
Developed countries
Disabled
Discrimination in insurance
Discrimination in medical care
Drug adulteration
Drug approvals
Drug industry
Drug utilization
Drugs
Executive reorganization
Federal aid to research
Federal budgets
Finance and Financial Sector
Fines (Penalties)
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Fraud
Generic drugs
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Government trust funds
Governmental investigations
Grievance procedures
Home care services
Housing and Community Development
Imports
Insurance premiums
Intellectual property
Intergovernmental fiscal relations
Kidney diseases
Labeling
Law
Legislation
Licenses
Managed care
Medicaid
Medical economics
Medical records
Medical research
Medically uninsured
Medicare
Medigap
Patents
Performance measurement
Pharmaceutical research
Pharmacies
Prescription pricing
Price discrimination
Quality of care
Quality of products
Rebates
Research and development
Retiree health benefits
Right of privacy
Rural health
Science, Technology, Communications
Social Welfare
Taxation
Telephone
Terminal care
Trade secrets
Welfare eligibility

Summary:
action_date: 2003-06-17
text: 
Medicare Extension of Drugs to Seniors (MEDS) Act of 2003 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to add a new part D (Prescription Medicine Benefit for the Aged and Disabled) establishing a voluntary insurance program to provide prescription medicine benefits, including pharmacy services, for eligible individuals (including low-income individuals) who are aged or disabled or have end-stage renal disease, and who elect to enroll during a prescribed period. Provides that the program shall be financed from monthly premium payments by enrollees together with Federal appropriations. Creates the Prescription Medicine Insurance Account within the Federal Supplemental Medical Insurance Trust Fund. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and implement an Employer Incentive Program that encourages employers to provide adequate prescription medicine benefits to retired individuals and maintain such existing benefit programs.
 
Outlines provisions for substantial reductions in the price of prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries.
 
Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as amended by the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001, with respect to the importation of certain prescription drugs, to revise testing requirements (granting the Secretary certain waiver discretion), and add approved labeling requirements.
 
Requires the recipient of a patent to make a reasonable pricing agreement with the Secretary (or the Secretary to waive such an agreement in the public interest) if any Federal agency or any non-profit entity: (1) undertakes federally funded health care research and development; and (2) is to convey or provide a patent or other exclusive right to use such research and development for a drug or other health care technology.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-07-02
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2003-07-01
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2003-06-17
text: 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.
action_date: 2003-06-17
text: 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.
action_date: 2003-06-17
text: 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.
action_date: 2003-06-17
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2003-06-17
text: Introduced in House