jiayi-li23/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Health — Drug Coverage and Cost
Subject: Health
Date: 2011-10-12 00:00:00

Prescription Drug Cost Reduction Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a program requiring a manufacturer to provide a rebate to the Secretary for drugs or biologicals furnished under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance). Requires the Secretary to negotiate a contract with a manufacturer to establish the amount of payment under Medicare part B for any drug or biological for which the Medicare part B program is the majority purchaser. Requires that payment for both a drug or biological functionally equivalent to another drug or biological and that other drug or biological to be the same as for the least costly of them. Directs the Secretary of HHS to study physician reimbursement for drugs and biologicals furnished under Medicare part B. Imposes on a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) specified fiduciary duties to the head of each federal agency with which the PBM contracts. Requires the Secretary to develop a form for use by physicians and practitioners to certify that any off-label use (not approved by the Food and Drug Administration [FDA]) for which an applicable drug is prescribed under Medicare is for a medically accepted indication. Amends the Public Health Service Act to: (1) include among "340B" program-covered entities (permitted to buy outpatient drugs at significant discounts) the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE); and (2) direct the Secretary to establish a mechanism to ensure that a manufacturer does not pay a duplicate discount with respect to a drug subject to a 340B program agreement if the PACE program receives any rebate (including any negotiated price concessions) for the drug under Medicare part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program). Makes an organization offering prescription drug coverage eligible to receive from the Secretary 10% of the estimated annual savings to the federal government as a result of the organization's participation in the drug discount program under the Public Health Service Act.
Topic: Health — Drug Coverage and Cost
Subject: Health
Date: 2011-11-16 00:00:00

Coordination of Pro Bono Medically Recommended Dental Care Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award competitive grants to, or enter into contracts with, eligible entities to fund the employment costs of professionals who will use grant or contract funds to: (1) coordinate the provision of medically recommended dental care to eligible low-income individuals by volunteer dentists in a manner consistent with state licensing laws; and (2) verify the medical, dental, and financial needs of individuals who may be eligible for free dental services. Requires an eligible: (1) entity to be tax exempt and provide for the participation of eligible individuals in a free dental services program on a national basis; and (2) individual to be entitled to benefits or be enrolled under Medicare, Medicaid, or a state plan or waiver under the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP, formerly known as SCHIP).
Topic: Health — Drug Coverage and Cost
Subject: Health
Date: 2012-09-22 00:00:00

Protecting Patients and Hospitals From Price Gouging Act - Authorizes the President to issue an executive order declaring a market shortage for six months with regard to one or more vital drugs if the total supply of all clinically interchangeable versions of a drug regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is inadequate to meet the current or projected demand at the user level. Defines a "vital drug" as any drug or biologic used to prevent or treat a serious or life-threatening disease or medical condition, for which there is no other available source with sufficient supply available. Makes it unlawful, when the President issues such an executive order, for any person to sell vital drugs at a price that: (1) is unreasonably excessive, and (2) indicates that the seller is taking unfair advantage of the circumstances related to a market shortage to increase prices unreasonably during that period. Gives the Attorney General authority to enforce penalties under this Act. Makes any person who sells, or offers to sell, any vital drug during a declared market shortage with the knowledge and intent to charge a price unreasonably excessive under the circumstances guilty of an offense and subject to injunction and penalties. Applies such sanctions, except to a hospital or a physician, in the geographical area where the vital drug market shortage has been declared and to all wholesalers and distributors in the chain of distribution. Sets forth factors for the Attorney General to consider in determining whether an alleged violator's price was unreasonably excessive. Makes a declaration under this Act terminate if: (1) there is enacted a law terminating the market shortage after a national market shortage is declared, or (2) the President issues a proclamation terminating the declaration. Authorizes the President to renew such a market shortage declaration if the severe shortage continues to affect the health and well-being of citizens beyond the initial six-month period.
Topic: Health — Drug Coverage and Cost
Subject: Health
Date: 2013-02-04 00:00:00

Patients' Access to Treatments Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish cost-sharing limits for health plans that cover prescription drugs and use a formulary or other tiered cost-sharing structure. Prohibits such a health plan from imposing cost-sharing requirements, including co-payment and co-insurance, applicable to prescription drugs in a specialty drug tier that exceed the dollar amount of cost-sharing requirements applicable to prescription drugs in a non-preferred brand drug tier. Applies the non-preferred brand drug tier for which beneficiary cost-sharing is lowest, if a formulary used by the health plan contains more than one non-preferred brand drug tier.

Defines: (1) "non-preferred brand drug tier" as a category of prescription drugs within a tier in a formulary for which beneficiary cost-sharing is greater than tiers for generic drugs or preferred brand drugs, and that are not included within a specialty drug tier; and (2) "specialty drug tier" as a category of prescription drugs within a tier in a formulary for which beneficiary cost-sharing is greater than tiers for generic drugs, preferred brand drugs, or non-preferred drugs in the plan's formulary.
Topic: Health — Drug Coverage and Cost
Subject: Health
Date: 2013-02-28 00:00:00

Medicare Prescription Drug Savings and Choice Act of 2013 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for: (1) establishment of one or more Medicare operated prescription drug plan options; and (2) an appeals process for denials of benefits under a Medicare operated prescription drug plan.
Topic: Health — Drug Coverage and Cost
Subject: Health
Date: 2013-03-07 00:00:00

Medication Therapy Management Empowerment Act of 2013 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide access to services under medication therapy management programs for Medicare part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Program) eligible individuals with a single chronic disease.

Allows the application of this Act only if the Chief Actuary for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services determines that such application with regard to a particular single chronic disease is not projected to increase overall costs to the Medicare program over the following five year period.
Topic: Health — Drug Coverage and Cost
Subject: Health
Date: 2013-03-12 00:00:00

Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2013 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to negotiate with pharmaceutical manufacturers the prices that may be charged to Medicare part D prescription drug plan (PDP) sponsors and MedicareAdvantage (MA) organizations for covered part D drugs for part D eligible individuals who are enrolled under a PDP or under an MA-Prescription Drug (MA-PD) plan.
Topic: Health — Drug Coverage and Cost
Subject: Health
Date: 2013-03-18 00:00:00

Accessing Medicare Therapies Act of 2013 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, with respect to cost-sharing under a prescription drug plan, to require incurred costs to include the negotiated price of a covered part D drug if the drug is: (1) classified in the highest copayment tier; (2) furnished to the individual free or at nominal charge under a compassionate treatment program; and (3) covered under the formulary of the plan, if the drug is furnished other than through such a program, or is available through exception or appeal.
Topic: Health — Drug Coverage and Cost
Subject: Health
Date: 2013-04-19 00:00:00

Improving Cancer Treatment Education Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to extend Medicare coverage to comprehensive cancer patient treatment education services, including a one-hour patient treatment education session delivered, in advance of treatment, by a registered nurse to an individual diagnosed with cancer (or whose course of treatment has been materially modified).

Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand, intensify, and coordinate research programs to: (1) improve the treatment and management of symptoms and side effects associated with cancer and cancer treatment, and (2) evaluate the role of nursing interventions in the amelioration of such symptoms and side effects.
Topic: Health — Drug Coverage and Cost
Subject: Health
Date: 2013-07-19 00:00:00

Securing Care for Seniors Act of 2013 - Amends part C (Medicare+Choice) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to terminate after 2013 the permission to disenroll, between January 1 and March 15 of each year, only from a MedicareAdvantage (MA) plan to elect enrollment in the original Medicare fee-for-service program.

Restores the option under previous law to elect to change from an MA plan to the original Medicare fee-for-service plan, or from the original Medicare fee-for-service to an MA plan, once a year during the first three months.

Permits an MA organization to offer individuals enrolled in one of its MA plans one or more incentive programs designed to improve their health care.

Permits an MA plan, through mechanisms such as value based insurance design (VBID) practices, to vary cost sharing for the purpose of encouraging enrollees to use providers that the MA organization has identified as performing well on quality metrics.

Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to evaluate and, as appropriate, revise for 2017 and periodically thereafter the risk adjustment system so that a risk score, with respect to an individual, takes into account the number of chronic conditions with which the individual has been diagnosed, and, to the extent available, at least two years of diagnostic data including data obtained during the individual's health risk assessments.

Requires the Secretary to take steps necessary to ensure that the MA 5-star rating system: (1) does not disadvantage a plan that enrolls a disproportionately high proportion of enrollees who are full-benefit dual eligible individuals, subsidy eligible individuals, or other individuals with complex health care needs such as individuals with multiple conditions; and (2) allows adjustments to account for differences in socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of enrollees and geographic variation in health outcomes.
Topic: Health — Drug Coverage and Cost
Subject: Health
Date: 2013-07-25 00:00:00

Part D Beneficiary Appeals Fairness Act - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, with respect to a prescription drug plan (PDP) that provides for any tiered cost-sharing within a formulary (including a structure that provides for different co-payment or coinsurance amounts for drugs in different tiers included within the formulary), to authorize a Medicare part D eligible individual enrolled in the plan to request an exception to the tiered cost-sharing structure.

States that in no case may the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) allow a PDP sponsor to make any formulary tier of the tiered cost-sharing structure (including a formulary tier used for very high cost or unique items) ineligible for lower-cost sharing through an exception.
Topic: Health — Drug Coverage and Cost
Subject: Health
Date: 2014-02-11 00:00:00

Access to Hearing Healthcare Act of 2014 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise the definition of Medicare-covered audiology (hearing and balance assessment) services provided by a qualified and legally authorized audiologist to state that such services are covered without regard to any requirement that: (1) the individual receiving them be under the care of (or referred by) a physician or other health care practitioner, or (2) such services are provided under the supervision of a physician or other health practitioner.

Includes audiology services as medical services, as so redefined, under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance).
Topic: Health — Drug Coverage and Cost
Subject: Health
Date: 2014-03-06 00:00:00

Keep the Promise to Seniors Act of 2014 - Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) from taking any action (through promulgation of a final or interim final regulation, issuance of regulatory or program guidance, use of federal payment audit procedures, or other enforcement or administrative action, policy, or practice) to implement any provision of the proposed regulation (relating to policy and technical changes to the MedicareAdvantage and part D programs under Medicare) published in the Federal Register on January 10, 2014, insofar as that regulation relates to part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA), including its application to MedicareAdvantage- Prescription Drug (MA-PD) plans under part C (Medicare+Choice Program).
Topic: Health — Drug Coverage and Cost
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2014-05-09 00:00:00

Caring for Military Children with Developmental Disabilities Act of 2014 - Includes in the treatment of military dependents' developmental disabilities under the Department of Defense (DOD) TRICARE program behavioral health treatment, including applied behavior analysis, that is prescribed by a physician or psychologist.

Makes such behavioral health treatment available to retired members of the Coast Guard, the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Commissioned Corps of Public Health Service, or their dependents only to the extent that amounts are specifically appropriated to the Defense Health Program Account for their coverage.

Expresses the sense of Congress that amounts should be appropriated for the behavioral health treatment of TRICARE beneficiaries in a manner that ensures that all beneficiaries receive appropriate and equitable access to such treatment.
Topic: Health — Drug Coverage and Cost
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2014-05-13 00:00:00

Caring for America's Heroes Act - Eliminates the limit on the number of days each year inpatient mental health services may be provided to military dependents under the Department of Defense (DOD) TRICARE program (a DOD managed care program).

Eliminates the need for TRICARE Standard beneficiaries to obtain: (1) a nonavailability statement or preauthorization to receive mental health services from a civilian provider, or (2) a nonavailability statement to receive mental health services in specialized treatment facilities outside the 200-mile radius of a military medical treatment facility.
Topic: Health — Drug Coverage and Cost
Subject: Health
Date: 2013-01-23 00:00:00

Prescription Drug and Health Improvement Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) with respect to prescription drug plans to repeal the prohibition against: (1) interference by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) with negotiations between drug manufacturers and pharmacies and prescription drug plan sponsors, and (2) requiring a particular formulary or instituting a price structure for the reimbursement of covered part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) drugs.

Grants the Secretary authority similar to that of other federal entities that purchase prescription drugs in bulk to negotiate contracts with manufacturers of covered part D drugs.
Topic: Health — Drug Coverage and Cost
Subject: Health
Date: 2013-01-23 00:00:00

Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2013 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to negotiate with pharmaceutical manufacturers the prices that may be charged to Medicare part D prescription drug plan (PDP) sponsors and MedicareAdvantage (MA) organizations for covered part D drugs for part D eligible individuals who are enrolled under a PDP or under an MA-Prescription Drug (MA-PD) plan.
Topic: Health — Drug Coverage and Cost
Subject: Health
Date: 2013-04-16 00:00:00

Medicare Drug Savings Act of 2013 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to require drug manufacturers to pay the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) drug rebates for rebate eligible (low-income) individuals. Excludes from Medicare coverage as a part D drug any drug or biological manufactured by a manufacturer that has not entered into and have in effect a rebate agreement with the Secretary.

Requires a rebate agreement to require a drug or biological manufacturer to provide to the Secretary a rebate, determined according to a specified formula, for each rebate period ending after December 31, 2011, for any covered Medicare part D drug dispensed after that date to any rebate eligible individual for which payment was made by a prescription drug plan (PDP) sponsor or MedicareAdvantage (MA) organization for such period.

Specifies a formula for determination of Medicaid rebate amounts for such drugs or biologicals.

Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to exclude any amounts paid under a rebate agreement from the determination of best price and average manufacturer price under the Medicaid program.
Topic: Health — Drug Coverage and Cost
Subject: Health
Date: 2013-05-06 00:00:00

Medicare Prescription Drug Program Integrity and Transparency Act of 2013 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require each contract entered into with a prescription drug plan (PDP) sponsor with respect to a PDP the sponsor offers to prohibit the PDP from entering into a contract with any pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) to manage the prescription drug coverage provided under such plan, or to control the costs of the prescription drug coverage under it, unless the manager satisfies specified PBM audit and disclosure requirements.

Requires a PBM to provide: (1) a particular aggregate average reimbursement rate for generics or a maximum average discount off of an accepted pharmaceutical pricing benchmark for multi-source generics as a whole ("generic effective rate"), and (2) a process for the generic effective rate to be appealed. Revises requirements for contracts with PDP sponsors to require that the PDP sponsor or a subcontractor of the sponsor disclose to a pharmacy, at the time when a contract is offered and at least once every seven days, the methodology and actual per unit reimbursement amount for each covered drug for each contracted pharmacy.
Topic: Health — Drug Coverage and Cost
Subject: Health
Date: 2013-09-10 00:00:00

Medicare Efficient Drug Dispensing Act of 2013 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require a prescription drug plan (PDP) sponsor to have in place a payment structure for covered part D drugs that encourages the use of dispensing techniques that foster efficiency and reduce wasteful dispensing of outpatient prescription drugs in long-term care facilities.

Requires a PDP sponsor also to take into account, in establishing fees for dispensing covered Medicare part D drugs to enrollees in a long-term care facility, the utilization of such dispensing techniques to minimize the dispensing of unused drugs, the incremental costs associated with the type of dispensing methodology, and the requirements applicable to long-term care pharmacies.
Topic: Health — Drug Coverage and Cost
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2014-05-01 00:00:00

Caring for America's Heroes Act - Eliminates the limit on the number of days each year inpatient mental health services may be provided to military dependents under the Department of Defense (DOD) TRICARE program (a DOD managed care program).

Eliminates the need for TRICARE Standard beneficiaries to obtain: (1) a nonavailability statement or preauthorization to receive mental health services from a civilian provider, or (2) a nonavailability statement to receive mental health services in specialized treatment facilities outside the 200-mile radius of a military medical treatment facility.
Topic: Health — Drug Coverage and Cost
Subject: Health
Date: 2014-07-23 00:00:00

Recovery Enhancement for Addiction Treatment Act or the TREAT Act - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to increase the number of patients that a qualifying practitioner dispensing narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment is initially allowed to treat from 30 to 100 patients per year.

Allows a qualifying physician, after one year, to request approval to treat an unlimited number of patients under specified conditions, including that he or she: (1) agrees to fully participate in the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program of the state in which the practitioner is licensed, (2) practices in a qualified practice setting, and (3) has completed at least 24 hours of training regarding treatment and management of opiate-dependent patients for substance use disorders provided by specified organizations.

Revises the definition of a "qualifying practitioner" to include: (1) a physician who holds a board certification from the American Board of Addiction Medicine; and (2) a nurse practitioner or physicians assistant who is licensed under state law to prescribe schedule III, IV, or V medications for pain, who has specified training or experience that demonstrates specialization in the ability to treat opiate-dependent patients, who practices under the supervision of, or prescribes opioid addiction therapy in collaboration with, a licensed physician who holds an active waiver to prescribe schedule III, IV, or V narcotic medications for opioid addiction therapy, and who practices in a qualified practice setting.

Directs the Comptroller General to initiate an evaluation of the effectiveness of this Act, including an evaluation of: (1) changes in the availability and use of medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction, (2) the quality of medication-assisted treatment programs, (3) diversion of opioid addiction treatment medication, and (4) changes in state or local policies and legislation relating to opioid addiction treatment.