Medicare Prescription Drug Savings for Our Seniors (Medicare Prescription Drug SOS) Act of 2006

Bill: 109-hr-6281
Sponsor: Rep. Doggett, Lloyd [D-TX-25]
Introduced: 2006-09-29 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Access to health care
Accreditation (Medical care)
Administrative procedure
Administrative remedies
Case management
Coinsurance
Commerce
Congressional reporting requirements
Consumer education
Crime and Law Enforcement
Deceptive advertising
Department of Health and Human Services
Drug abuse
Drug industry
Drug therapy
Drugs
Economics and Public Finance
Electronic funds transfers
Employee health benefits
Federal advisory bodies
Federal-state relations
Finance and Financial Sector
Fines (Penalties)
Generic drugs
Government Operations and Politics
Government and business
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Government trust funds
Health care fraud
Health education
Health insurance
Health insurance continuation
Health maintenance organizations
Indexing (Economic policy)
Insurance premiums
Intellectual property
Interest
Intergovernmental fiscal relations
Labor and Employment
Law
Licenses
Managed care
Medicaid
Medical economics
Medical fees
Medicare
Medication abuse
Old age, survivors and disability insurance
Patients' rights
Pharmacies
Pharmacists
Physicians
Prescription pricing
Retiree health benefits
Science, Technology, Communications
Social Welfare
Social security finance
Subsidies
Tax returns
Taxation
Trademarks
Tranquilizing drugs
Welfare eligibility

Summary:
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: 
Medicare Prescription Drug Savings for Our Seniors (Medicare Prescription Drug SOS) Act of 2006 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) offer one or more Medicare operated prescription drug plans (PDPs) with a service area consisting of the entire United States; and (2) negotiate with pharmaceutical manufacturers to reduce the purchase cost of covered part D drugs. Requires the monthly beneficiary premium for qualified prescription drug coverage and access to negotiated prices to be uniform nationally. 
 
Provides for auto-enrollment of subsidy eligible individuals in Medicare operated PDPs.
 
Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to provide for the use of 2005 as base in computing the state clawback provision.
 
Amends SSA title XVIII (Medicare) to: (1) eliminate cost-sharing for certain full-benefit dual eligibles, and the indexing on the price sharing for dual-eligibles and qualifying low income beneficiaries; (2) expedite low-income subsidies under the Medicare PDP; (3) increase permitted resources to obtain low-income subsidies; and (4) waive the late enrollment penalty for subsidy eligible individuals for first 24 months of non-enrollment.
 
Sets forth anti-fraud and abuse provisions.
 
Provides for protection of Social Security benefits against a decrease owing to part D Medicare premium increases.
 
Extends the annual enrollment periods of the Medicare PDP.
 

 

 

 

 
Prohibits a PDP sponsor from removing a covered part D drug from the plan formulary, or otherwise introduce a barrier to access to covered part D drugs, without advance notice.
 

 
Directs the Secretary to review benzodiazepine prescription policies to assure appropriateness and avoid abuse.
 

 
Eliminates the MA Regional Stabilization Fund and certain Medicare Advantage overpayments.
 
Requires prompt payment of clean claims by Medicare and Medicare Advantage PDPs. 
 
Prohibits co-branding.
 
Provides for the: (1) payment of minimum dispensing fees to encourage use of generic drugs; and (2) provision of medication therapy management services.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-10-02
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2006-09-29
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: 2006-09-29
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: 2006-09-29
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: 2006-09-29
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2006-09-29
text: Introduced in House