[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3697 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3697

 To provide for participation of certain Medicare-eligible individuals 
              in Department of Defense pharmacy programs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 16, 2000

Mr. Vitter (for himself, Mr. Cunningham, Mr. Hayes, Mr. Kuykendall, Mr. 
   Taylor of Mississippi, and Mr. Moran of Virginia) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide for participation of certain Medicare-eligible individuals 
              in Department of Defense pharmacy programs.

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

SECTION 1. PARTICIPATION OF MEDICARE-ELIGIBLE BENEFICIARIES IN CERTAIN 
              DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PHARMACY PROGRAMS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than October 1, 2000, the Secretary of 
Defense shall--
            (1) expand and make permanent the demonstration project for 
        pharmaceuticals by mail established under subsection (a) of 
        section 702 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
        Fiscal Year 1993 (10 U.S.C. 1079 note) in order to permit 
        individuals described in subsection (b) worldwide to obtain 
        pharmaceuticals through the project; and
            (2) modify each managed health care program which includes 
        a managed care network of community retail pharmacies under 
        subsection (b) of such section 702 to supply prescription 
        pharmaceuticals to the individuals described in subsection (b) 
        of this section through such network in the area covered by 
        such program.
    (b) Eligible Individuals.--An individual eligible to obtain 
pharmaceuticals under this section is an individual--
            (1) who is--
                    (A) a member or former member of the uniformed 
                services described in section 1074(b) of title 10, 
                United States Code;
                    (B) a dependent of a member described in subsection 
                (a)(2)(B) or (b) of section 1076 of that title; or
                    (C) a dependent of a member who died while on 
                active duty for a period of more than 30 days; and
            (2) who is entitled to hospital insurance benefits under 
        part A of title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
        1395 et seq.).
    (c) Fees and Charges.--(1) Subject to paragraph (2), the amount of 
the deductible, copayment, annual fee, or other fee, if any, paid by an 
eligible individual described in subsection (b) who obtains a 
pharmaceutical under this section through the project referred to in 
subsection (a)(1) or a retail pharmacy network referred to in 
subsection (a)(2) shall not exceed the amount of the deductible 
copayment, annual fee, or other fee paid by other persons for such 
pharmaceutical through the project or the pharmacy network, as the case 
may be.
    (2) An eligible individual described in subsection (b) shall not be 
charged an enrollment fee for participation in the project or a retail 
pharmacy network under this section.
    (3) The Secretary of Defense may not establish or collect any new 
fee or charge under the project referred to in subsection (a)(1), or 
any retail pharmacy network referred to in subsection (a)(2), by reason 
of the participation of eligible individuals described in subsection 
(b) in the project or network under this section.
                                 <all>