[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 376 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 376

   To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to authorize the 
  Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate fair prices for 
    Medicare prescription drugs on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 26, 2005

Mrs. Emerson (for herself, Mr. Moore of Kansas, Mr. Ramstad, Mr. Ross, 
Mr. Wamp, Mr. Davis of Florida, Mr. Burton of Indiana, and Mr. Emanuel) 
 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 title XVIII of the Social Security Act to authorize the 
  Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate fair prices for 
    Medicare prescription drugs on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Medicare's Equitable Drugs for 
Seniors Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. NEGOTIATING FAIR PRICES FOR MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUGS ON 
              BEHALF OF MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES.

    Section 1860D-11 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395-111) is 
amended by striking subsection (i) (relating to noninterference) and by 
inserting the following:
    ``(i) Authority to Negotiate Prices With Manufacturers.--In order 
to ensure that beneficiaries enrolled under prescription drug plans and 
MA-PD plans pay the lowest possible price, the Secretary shall have 
authority similar to that of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 
Secretary of Defense, and the heads of other Federal agencies and 
departments that purchase prescription drugs in bulk to negotiate 
contracts with manufacturers of covered part D drugs, consistent with 
the requirements and in furtherance of the goals of providing quality 
care and containing costs under this part.''.
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