Territories Medicare Prescription Drug Assistance Equity Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-2342
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Nelson, Bill [D-FL]
Introduced: 2015-12-02
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Medicaid

Medicare

Prescription drugs

U.S. territories and protectorates
Latest action: action_date: 2015-12-02
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Summaries:
action_date: 2015-12-02
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Territories Medicare Prescription Drug Assistance Equity Act of 2015</strong></p> <p>This bill amends titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to make certain subsidies available to Medicare prescription drug program beneficiaries who reside in Puerto Rico or&nbsp;another U.S. territory. Current law makes&nbsp;such beneficiaries ineligible for premium and cost-sharing subsidies, but&nbsp;establishes a process for&nbsp;U.S. territories&nbsp;to apply&nbsp;for financial assistance with respect to the provision of Medicare prescription drugs. The bill eliminates&nbsp;this process and makes the subsidies available to beneficiaries who reside in a&nbsp;U.S. territory&nbsp;and are otherwise eligible. </p>

tv_txt: II 114th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 2342 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES December 2, 2015 Mr. Nelson (for himself, Mr. Schumer , Mr. Menendez , and Mr. Blumenthal ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance A BILL To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to make premium and cost-sharing subsidies available to low-income Medicare part D beneficiaries who reside in Puerto Rico or another territory of the United States.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Territories Medicare Prescription Drug Assistance Equity Act of 2015 . 2. Eliminating exclusion of part D eligible individuals residing in territories from eligibility for premium and cost-sharing subsidies (a) In general Section 1860D–14(a)(3) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395w–114(a)(3) ) is amended— (1) in subparagraph (A), in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking subject to subparagraph (F), ; (2) in subparagraph (B)(v), in the matter preceding subclause (I), by striking Subject to subparagraph (F), the Secretary and inserting The Secretary ; (3) in subparagraph (C), by adding at the end the following new sentence: In the case of an individual who is not a resident of the 50 States or the District of Columbia, the poverty line (as such term is defined in clause (ii)) that shall apply to such individual shall be the poverty line for the 48 contiguous States and the District of Columbia. ; and (4) by striking subparagraph (F). (b) Application of Medicaid provisions Section 1935 of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1396u–5 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a), by striking subject to subsection (e) in the matter preceding paragraph (1); and (2) by striking subsection (e). (c) Conforming amendment Section 1108(f) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1308(f) ) is amended by striking and section 1935(e)(1)(B) in the matter preceding clause (i). (d) Effective date The amendments made by this section shall take effect on January 1, 2017.