To amend part D of title XVIII of the Social Security Act, as added by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, to permit the Secretary of Health and Human Services to enter into direct negotiations to promote best prices for Medicare beneficiaries.

Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as added by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to enter into direct negotiations between drug manufacturers and pharmacies, and between Medicare prescription drug plan sponsors and Medicare Advantage organizations offering prescription drug plans, to promote the best prices of prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries.

[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3671 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3671

To amend part D of title XVIII of the Social Security Act, as added by 
 the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 
  2003, to permit the Secretary of Health and Human Services to enter 
     into direct negotiations to promote best prices for Medicare 
                             beneficiaries.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 8, 2003

Mr. Deutsch (for himself, Mr. Hastings of Florida, Ms. Corrine Brown of 
Florida, Mr. Wexler, and Mrs. Jo Ann Davis of Virginia) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
  Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a 
 period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend part D of title XVIII of the Social Security Act, as added by 
 the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 
  2003, to permit the Secretary of Health and Human Services to enter 
     into direct negotiations to promote best prices for Medicare 
                             beneficiaries.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. AUTHORITY TO ENTER INTO NEGOTIATIONS ON PRICES FOR 
              PRESCRIPTION DRUGS FOR MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES.

    Section 1860D-11(i) of the Social Security Act, as added by section 
101(a) of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and 
Modernization Act of 2003, is amended to read as follows:
    ``(i) Direct Negotiations.--In order to promote the best price of 
prescription drugs for part D eligible beneficiaries and in carrying 
out this part, the Secretary may enter into direct negotiations 
between--
            ``(1) drug manufacturers and pharmacies; and
            ``(2) PDP sponsors and MA organizations offering MA-PD 
        plans.''.
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