Medication Access in Emergencies Act of 2020

Bill: 116-hr-6193
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Pappas, Chris [D-NH-1]
Introduced: 2020-03-11
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Disaster relief and insurance

Emergency planning and evacuation

Health care costs and insurance

Health care coverage and access

Prescription drugs
Latest action: action_date: 2020-03-11
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-03-11
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Medication Access in Emergencies Act of 2020</b><br> <br> This bill requires private health insurance plans that cover prescription drugs to waive time restrictions on authorized refills as necessary to permit a plan holder to obtain a 30-day supply of a prescribed drug during a public health emergency.</p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6193 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 11, 2020 Mr. Pappas (for himself and Mr. Allred ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to require group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage to provide benefits under such plan or such coverage for a 30-day refill of prescription drugs to individuals who reside in emergency areas during emergency periods.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Medication Access in Emergencies Act of 2020 . 2. Requiring coverage of prescription drug refills during emergencies Subpart II of part A of title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300gg–11 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section: 2730. Coverage of prescription drug refills during an emergency (a) In general A group health plan, and a health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage, shall, in the case of an individual with a prescription for a drug for which benefits are available under such plan or such coverage who is enrolled under such plan or such coverage and who resides in an emergency area during an emergency period, waive, during such period and with respect to such individual, any time restrictions under such plan or coverage on any authorized refills for such drug to the extent necessary to permit such individual to receive a 30-day supply of such drug in advance of when such supply would have otherwise been permitted under such plan or coverage. (b) Definitions For purposes of subsection (a), the terms emergency area and emergency period have the meanings given such terms in section 1135(g) of the Social Security Act. .