Capping Prescription Costs Act of 2018

Bill: 115-s-3194
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA]
Introduced: 2018-07-11
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Health care costs and insurance

Prescription drugs
Latest action: action_date: 2018-07-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Summaries:
action_date: 2018-07-11
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Capping Prescription Costs Act of 2018</b></p> <p>This bill caps the monthly prescription-drug cost-sharing permitted under qualified health plans and group health plans.</p> </p>

tv_txt: II 115th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 3194 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES July 11, 2018 Ms. Warren (for herself, Mr. Nelson , Mr. Wyden , Mrs. Murray , Mr. Whitehouse , Ms. Smith , Mr. Leahy , Ms. Hassan , Ms. Baldwin , Mr. Durbin , Mrs. Shaheen , Mr. Blumenthal , Mr. Heinrich , Mr. Udall , Mrs. Gillibrand , Mr. Reed , and Mr. Merkley ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to cap prescription drug cost-sharing, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Capping Prescription Costs Act of 2018 . 2. Cap on prescription drug cost-sharing (a) Qualified health plans Section 1302(c) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ( 42 U.S.C. 18022(c) ) is amended— (1) in paragraph (3)(A)(i), by inserting , including cost-sharing with respect to prescription drugs covered by the plan after charges ; and (2) by adding at the end the following: (5) Prescription drug cost-sharing (A) 2020 For plan years beginning in 2020, the cost-sharing incurred under a health plan with respect to prescription drugs covered by the plan shall not exceed $250 per month for each enrolled individual, or $500 for each family. (B) 2021 and later (i) In general In the case of any plan year beginning in a calendar year after 2020, the limitation under this paragraph shall be equal to the applicable dollar amount under subparagraph (A) for plan years beginning in 2020, increased by an amount equal to the product of that amount and the medical care component of the consumer price index for all urban consumers (as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics) for that year. (ii) Adjustment to amount If the amount of any increase under clause (i) is not a multiple of $5, such increase shall be rounded to the next lowest multiple of $5. . (b) Group health plans Section 2707(b) of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300gg–6(b) ) is amended— (1) by striking annual ; and (2) by striking paragraph (1) of section 1302(c) and inserting paragraphs (1) and (5) of section 1302(c) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act . (c) Effective date The amendments made by subsections (a) and (b) shall take effect with respect to plans beginning after December 31, 2019.