Lower Health Care Costs Act

Bill: 116-s-1895
Sponsor: Sen. Alexander, Lamar [R-TN]
Introduced: 2019-06-19 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Aviation and airports
Blood and blood diseases
Child health
Civil actions and liability
Competition and antitrust
Computer security and identity theft
Computers and information technology
Congressional oversight
Disability and health-based discrimination
Drug safety, medical device, and laboratory regulation
Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
Education programs funding
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Employee benefits and pensions
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Health care quality
Health facilities and institutions
Health information and medical records
Health personnel
Health programs administration and funding
Health promotion and preventive care
Health technology, devices, supplies
Home and outpatient care
Immunology and vaccination
Indian social and development programs
Intellectual property
Licensing and registrations
Medical education
Mental health
Minority health
Nursing
Nutrition and diet
Physical fitness and lifestyle
Prescription drugs
Public participation and lobbying
Public-private cooperation
Right of privacy
Women's health

Summary:
action_date: 2019-06-19
text: 

Lower Health Care Costs Act

 
This bill makes a series of changes relating to health care coverage, costs, and services.
 
Among other things, the bill
 
 
applies in-network cost-sharing requirements to certain emergency and related nonemergency services that are provided out-of-network, and prohibits health care facilities and practitioners from billing above the applicable in-network cost-sharing rate for such services; 
 
revises certain requirements in order to expedite the approval of generics and biosimilars, including requirements relating to citizen petitions, application effective dates, and labeling; 
 
requires health care facilities and practitioners to give patients a list of provided services upon discharge and to bill for such services within 45 days; 
 
limits prices that pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) may charge health insurers or enrollees for prescription drugs, based on prices paid by PBMs to pharmacies; 
 
establishes grant programs to support vaccinations and data modernization; and 
 
requires health insurers to make certain information, including estimated out-of-pocket costs, accessible to enrollees through specified technology (e.g., mobile applications). 


action_date: 2019-07-08
text: 

Lower Health Care Costs Act

 
This bill makes a series of changes relating to health care coverage, costs, and services.
 
Among other things, the bill
 
 
applies in-network cost-sharing requirements to certain emergency and related nonemergency services that are provided out-of-network, and prohibits health care facilities and practitioners from billing above the applicable in-network cost-sharing rate for such services; 
 
revises certain requirements in order to expedite the approval of generics and biosimilars, including requirements relating to citizen petitions, application effective dates, and labeling; 
 
requires health care facilities and practitioners to give patients a list of provided services upon discharge and to bill for such services within 45 days; 
 
limits prices that pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) may charge health insurers or enrollees for prescription drugs, based on prices paid by PBMs to pharmacies; 
 
establishes grant programs to support vaccinations and data modernization; and 
 
requires health insurers to make certain information, including estimated out-of-pocket costs, accessible to enrollees through specified technology (e.g., mobile applications). 

 
The bill also makes several additional changes relating to public health, including raising the minimum age to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2019-07-08
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 133.
action_date: 2019-07-08
text: Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Reported by Senator Alexander with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2019-07-08
text: Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Reported by Senator Alexander with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
action_date: 2019-06-26
text: Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2019-06-19
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2019-06-19
text: Introduced in Senate