Seniors Prescription Drug Relief Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-2911
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Cassidy, Bill [R-LA]
Introduced: 2019-11-20
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures

Department of Health and Human Services

Health care coverage and access

Medicare

Prescription drugs
Latest action: action_date: 2019-11-20
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Summaries:
action_date: 2019-11-20
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Seniors Prescription Drug Relief Act of 2019</b></p> <p>This bill allows beneficiaries whose monthly costs under the Medicare prescription drug benefit equal or exceed a significant percentage of the annual out-of-pocket spending threshold to pay down such costs in installments over the course of the remaining plan year. The Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services must determine what constitutes a significant percentage; however, such percentage must be between 50% and 100%. </p>

tv_txt: II 116th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 2911 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES November 20, 2019 Mr. Cassidy (for himself and Mr. Menendez ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance A BILL To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide a monthly out-of-pocket cost sharing maximum for enrollees who incur a significant portion of costs for covered part D drugs towards the annual out-of-pocket threshold during a month.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Seniors Prescription Drug Relief Act of 2019 . 2. Monthly out-of-pocket cost sharing maximum for enrollees who incur a significant portion of costs towards annual out-of-pocket threshold (a) Standard prescription drug coverage Section 1860D–2(b)(2) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395w–102(b)(2) ) is amended— (1) in subparagraph (A), by striking and (D) and inserting , (D), and (E) ; (2) in each of subparagraphs (C)(i) and (D)(i), by striking paragraph (4) and inserting paragraph (4), and subject to subparagraph (E) ; and (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: (E) Monthly out-of-pocket cost sharing maximum (i) In general For plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2022, the Secretary shall through regulation establish a process to allow an enrollee in a prescription drug plan who incurs costs (as described in paragraph (4)(C)) equal to or greater than a significant percentage of the annual out-of-pocket threshold specified in paragraph (4)(B) within a one month time period to choose to pay the total amount of such costs owed, in equal installments in the remaining months of the plan year up to the total amount of such annual out-of-pocket threshold. (ii) Definition of significant percent For purposes of the process described in clause (i), the Secretary shall through regulation provide for a definition of the term significant percentage with respect to a percentage of the annual out-of-pocket threshold specified in paragraph (4)(B) but in no case shall the significant percentage be less than 50 percent or more than 100 percent of the annual out-of-pocket threshold. . (b) Alternative prescription drug coverage Section 1860D–2(c) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395w–102(c) ) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (4) Same monthly out-of-pocket cost sharing maximum For plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2022, the coverage provides the monthly out-of-pocket cost sharing maximum required under subsection (b)(2)(E). .