[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3764 Introduced in Senate (IS)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3764

   To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to eliminate the 
   coverage gap under the Medicare part D prescription drug program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 31, 2006

Mr. Lautenberg introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
                  referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to eliminate the 
   coverage gap under the Medicare part D prescription drug program.

    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 Part D Coverage Gap 
Elimination Act of 2006''.

SEC. 2. ELIMINATION OF MEDICARE PART D COVERAGE GAP.

    (a) Elimination of Coverage Gap.--
            (1) In general.--
                    (A) In general.--Paragraph (3) of section 1860D-
                2(b) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-
                102(b)) is repealed.
                    (B) Revision of benefit structure.--Section 1860D-
                2(b)(2)(A) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-102(b)(2)(A)) 
                is amended by striking ``and up to the initial coverage 
                limit under paragraph (3)'' and inserting ``and up to 
                the point at which the annual out-of-pocket threshold 
                is reached under paragraph (4)'' in the matter 
                preceding clause (i).
            (2) Conforming amendments.--
                    (A) Supplemental prescription drug coverage.--
                Section 1860D-2(a)(2)(A)(i)(I) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
                1395w-102(a)(2)(A)(i)(I)) is amended--
                            (i) by striking ``deductible,'' and 
                        inserting ``deductible or'';
                            (ii) by striking ``, or an increase in the 
                        initial coverage limit''; and
                            (iii) by striking ``or increase''.
                    (B) Catastrophic.--Section 1860D-2(b)(4)(C)(i) of 
                such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-102(b)(4)(C)(i)) is amended--
                            (i) by striking ``paragraph (1),'' and 
                        inserting ``paragraph (1) or''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``and for amounts for 
                        which benefits are not provided because of the 
                        application of the initial coverage limit 
                        described in paragraph (3),''.
                    (C) Alternative prescription drug coverage.--
                Section 1860D-2(c)(1)(C) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-
                102(c)(1)(C)) is amended--
                            (i) in the heading by striking ``initial 
                        coverage limit'' and inserting ``out-of-pocket 
                        threshold''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``the initial coverage 
                        limit under subsection (b)(3)'' each place it 
                        appears and inserting ``the out-of-pocket 
                        threshold under subsection (b)(4)''.
                    (D) Access to negotiated prices.--Section 1860D-
                2(d)(1)(A) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-102(d)(1)(A)) 
                is amended by striking ``or an initial coverage limit 
                (described in subsection (b)(3))''.
                    (E) Claims information.--Section 1860D-
                4(a)(4)(B)(i) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-
                104(a)(4)(B)(i)) is amended by striking ``relation to--
                '' and all that follows through ``the annual'' and 
                inserting ``relation to the annual''.
                    (F) Low-income subsidies.--Section 1860D-14(a) of 
                such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-114(a)) is amended by 
                striking subparagraph (C) of paragraphs (1) and (2).
                    (G) Definition.--Section 1860D-41(a)(6) of such Act 
                (42 U.S.C. 1395w-151(a)(6)) is repealed.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take 
effect on January 1, 2007.
                                 <all>