[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3418 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3418

To amend part D of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to apply the 
 exceptions process for tiered formulary drugs to specialty tier drugs.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 30, 2009

Mr. Ellsworth 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

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                                 A BILL


 
To amend part D of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to apply the 
 exceptions process for tiered formulary drugs to specialty tier drugs.

    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 Prescription Drug Cost 
Equalization Act''.

SEC. 2. APPLICATION OF EXCEPTIONS PROCEDURES FOR PRESCRIPTION DRUG PLAN 
              TIERED COST-SHARING STRUCTURE TO SPECIALTY TIERS.

    (a) In General.--Section 1860D-4(g)(2) of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1395w-104(g)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new sentence: ``The exceptions process under this paragraph 
shall apply to drugs included in a tier of a formulary solely for very 
high cost and unique items (commonly referred to as a specialty tier) 
in the same manner as such process applies to any other drugs.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The provisions of this section shall apply to 
PDP sponsors and MA organizations for plan years beginning on or after 
the date of the enactment of this Act.
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