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    <number>137</number>
    <updateDate>2023-01-11T20:06:38Z</updateDate>
    <updateDateIncludingText>2023-01-11T20:06:38Z</updateDateIncludingText>
    <originChamber>Senate</originChamber>
    <originChamberCode>S</originChamberCode>
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    <introducedDate>2007-01-04</introducedDate>
    <congress>110</congress>
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        <chamber>Senate</chamber>
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            <date>2007-01-04T22:39:41Z</date>
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        <text>Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S134-135)</text>
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        <actionDate>2007-01-04</actionDate>
        <text>Introduced in Senate</text>
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        <bioguideId>C000141</bioguideId>
        <fullName>Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD]</fullName>
        <firstName>Ben</firstName>
        <lastName>Cardin</lastName>
        <party>D</party>
        <state>MD</state>
        <isByRequest>N</isByRequest>
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    <policyArea>
      <name>Health</name>
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        <item>
          <name>Access to health care</name>
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        <item>
          <name>Coinsurance</name>
        </item>
        <item>
          <name>Commerce</name>
        </item>
        <item>
          <name>Competitive bidding</name>
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        <item>
          <name>Congress</name>
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        <item>
          <name>Congressional reporting requirements</name>
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        <item>
          <name>Cost control</name>
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        <item>
          <name>Drug abuse</name>
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        <item>
          <name>Drug industry</name>
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        <item>
          <name>Drugs</name>
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          <name>Economics and Public Finance</name>
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          <name>Expedited congressional procedure</name>
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          <name>Finance and Financial Sector</name>
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          <name>Government Operations and Politics</name>
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          <name>Government trust funds</name>
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          <name>Legislation</name>
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          <name>Managed care</name>
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          <name>Medical economics</name>
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        <item>
          <name>Medical fees</name>
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        <item>
          <name>Medicare</name>
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        <item>
          <name>Medication abuse</name>
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          <name>Metropolitan areas</name>
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          <name>Pharmacies</name>
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          <name>Prescription pricing</name>
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        <item>
          <name>Rebates</name>
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        <item>
          <name>Retiree health benefits</name>
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          <name>Sedatives</name>
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          <name>Senate rules and procedure</name>
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          <name>Social Welfare</name>
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          <name>Subsidies</name>
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        <item>
          <name>Urban affairs</name>
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      </legislativeSubjects>
      <policyArea>
        <name>Health</name>
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    <summaries>
      <summary>
        <versionCode>00</versionCode>
        <actionDate>2007-01-04</actionDate>
        <actionDesc>Introduced in Senate</actionDesc>
        <updateDate>2007-01-19T16:39:09Z</updateDate>
        <text><![CDATA[ <p>Preserving Medicare for All Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to repeal the prohibition against interference by the Secretary of Health and Human Services with the negotiations between drug manufacturers and pharmacies and prescription drug plan sponsors.</p> <p>Grants the Secretary authority to negotiate contracts with manufacturers of covered part D drugs in order to ensure that beneficiaries enrolled under prescription drug plans and Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plans (MA-PD plans) pay the lowest possible price.</p> <p></p> <p>Allows the Medicare part D eligible individual an alternative to the current choice of coverage in at least two qualifying plans in the area in which the individual resides. Allows such an individual to choose enrollment in a nationwide prescription drug plan offered by the Secretary (to replace enrollment in a fallback prescription drug plan in any case in which such plans are not available).</p> <p>Directs the Secretary, through the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services, to: (1) take necessary steps to qualify and serve as a prescription drug plan sponsor; and (2) offer a prescription drug plan that offers basic prescription drug coverage throughout the United States, with a $35 premium for 2008, adjusted annually thereafter.</p> <p>Requires such a plan to be in addition to, and not in lieu of, other prescription drug plans offered.</p><p>Provides for full reimbursement to employers for the cost of qualified retiree drug coverage, and permits their costs to count towards senior's catastrophic limits.</p><p>Abolishes the comparative cost adjustment program.</p><p>Eliminates the MA Regional Plan Stabilization Fund.</p><p>Repeals certain cost containment requirements.</p> <p>Amends SSA title XVIII to provide for the removal of exclusion of benzodiazepines from required coverage under the Medicare prescription drug program.</p> <p></p> <p></p>]]></text>
      </summary>
    </summaries>
    <title>Preserving Medicare for All Act of 2007</title>
    <titles>
      <item>
        <titleType>Official Title as Introduced</titleType>
        <title>A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide additional beneficiary protections.</title>
        <billTextVersionName>Introduced in Senate</billTextVersionName>
        <billTextVersionCode>IS</billTextVersionCode>
      </item>
      <item>
        <titleType>Display Title</titleType>
        <title>Preserving Medicare for All Act of 2007</title>
      </item>
      <item>
        <titleType>Short Titles as Introduced</titleType>
        <title>Preserving Medicare for All Act of 2007</title>
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        <type>Introduced in Senate</type>
        <date>2007-01-04T05:00:00Z</date>
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    <latestAction>
      <actionDate>2007-01-04</actionDate>
      <text>Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR S134-135)</text>
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    <dc:rights>Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.</dc:rights>
    <dc:contributor>Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress</dc:contributor>
    <dc:description>This file contains bill summaries and statuses for federal legislation. A bill summary describes the most significant provisions of a piece of legislation and details the effects the legislative text may have on current law and federal programs. Bill summaries are authored by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) of the Library of Congress. As stated in Public Law 91-510 (2 USC 166 (d)(6)), one of the duties of CRS is "to prepare summaries and digests of bills and resolutions of a public general nature introduced in the Senate or House of Representatives". For more information, refer to the User Guide that accompanies this file.</dc:description>
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