US Congress House Bill 4946 (Prior Session Legislation)

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Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 11-7)
Status: Introduced on October 31 2019 - 25% progression, died in committee
Action: 2019-11-01 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Pending: House Subcommittee on Health Committee
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [PDF]

Establishes several requirements for prescription drug plans under the Medicare prescription drug benefit. Specifically, the bill requires prescription drug plans to allow any pharmacy located in a health professional shortage area, a medically underserved area, or a rural area to be included as an in-network pharmacy if the plan already has other in-network pharmacies in the same area. The bill also establishes certain standards for prescription drug plans regarding pharmacy reimbursements and related disclosures. Among other things, the bill prohibits prescription drug plans from reimbursing a pharmacy in an amount that is less than the amount the pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) reimburses an affiliated pharmacy (i.e., a pharmacy that has a shared ownership interest with the PBM) for the same services.

Ensuring Seniors Access to Local Pharmacies Act of 2019

Sen. Peter Welch [D-VT]	Rep. Morgan Griffith [R-VA]	Rep. David Loebsack [D-IA]	Rep. Earl Carter [R-GA]
Rep. Vicente Gonzalez [D-TX]	Rep. Eric Crawford [R-AR]	Rep. Bruce Westerman [R-AR]	Rep. David Roe [R-TN]
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers [R-WA]	Rep. Cindy Axne [D-IA]	Rep. Rick Allen [R-GA]	Rep. Collin Peterson [D-MN]
Rep. Charles Fleischmann [R-TN]	Rep. Bradley Byrne [R-AL]	Rep. C.A. Ruppersberger [D-MD]	Rep. French Hill [R-AR]
Sen. Roger Marshall [R-KS]	Rep. Abby Finkenauer [D-IA]

Date	Chamber	Action
2019-11-01	House	Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
2019-10-31	House	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.
2019-10-31	House	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.
2019-10-31	House	Introduced in House

Type	Source
Summary	https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/4946/all-info
Text	https://www.congress.gov/116/bills/hr4946/BILLS-116hr4946ih.pdf