Preserving Medicare for All Act of 2004

Bill: 108-hr-3702
Sponsor: Rep. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD-3]
Introduced: 2004-01-20 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Access to health care
Coinsurance
Commerce
Competitive bidding
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Cost control
Drug industry
Drugs
Economics and Public Finance
Expedited congressional procedure
Finance and Financial Sector
Government Operations and Politics
Government trust funds
Health insurance
Health maintenance organizations
House rules and procedure
Insurance premiums
Legislation
Managed care
Medical economics
Medical fees
Medicare
Metropolitan areas
Pharmacies
Prescription pricing
Rebates
Retiree health benefits
Senate rules and procedure
Social Welfare
Subsidies
Urban affairs

Summary:
action_date: 2004-01-20
text: 
Preserving Medicare for All Act of 2004 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, to repeal provisions prohibiting the Secretary of Health and Human Services from interfering with the negotiations between drug manufacturers and pharmacies and prescription drug plan sponsors and from requiring a particular formulary to institute a price structure for the reimbursement of covered Medicare part D drugs.
 
Includes for the Medicare part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) eligible individual as a choice of coverage, in addition to the current choice of coverage in at least two qualifying plans in the area in which the individual resides, a choice of enrollment in a nationwide prescription drug plan offered by the Secretary (to replace enrollment in a fallback prescription drug plan in any case in which such plans are not available).
 
Directs the Secretary, through the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, to take such steps as may be necessary to qualify and serve as a prescription drug plan sponsor and to offer a prescription drug plan that offers basic prescription drug coverage throughout the United States and has a premium of $35 for 2006.
 
Requires such a plan to be in addition to, and not in lieu of, other prescription drug plans offered.
 
Provides for full reimbursement for employers for the cost of qualified retiree drug coverage and permits their costs to count towards senior's catastrophic limits.
 
Abolishes the comparative cost adjustment program.
 
Eliminates the MA Regional Plan Stabilization Fund.
 
Repeals cost containment provisions.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-02-03
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2004-01-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2004-01-21
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E31-32)
action_date: 2004-01-20
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: 2004-01-20
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: 2004-01-20
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: 2004-01-20
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2004-01-20
text: Introduced in House