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<bill bill-stage="Introduced-in-House" dms-id="HAAABE1A22F594F58B56424CC84DFEB5C" public-private="public" key="H" bill-type="olc"><metadata xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">
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<dc:title>117 HR 2706 IH: Freedom from Price Gouging Act</dc:title>
<dc:publisher>U.S. House of Representatives</dc:publisher>
<dc:date>2021-04-20</dc:date>
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<dc:language>EN</dc:language>
<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>
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<distribution-code display="yes">I</distribution-code><congress display="yes">117th CONGRESS</congress><session display="yes">1st Session</session><legis-num display="yes">H. R. 2706</legis-num><current-chamber>IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES</current-chamber><action display="yes"><action-date date="20210420">April 20, 2021</action-date><action-desc><sponsor name-id="P000618">Ms. Porter</sponsor> (for herself, <cosponsor name-id="U000040">Ms. Underwood</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="C001121">Mr. Crow</cosponsor>, and <cosponsor name-id="B000574">Mr. Blumenauer</cosponsor>) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the <committee-name committee-id="HIF00">Committee on Energy and Commerce</committee-name>, and in addition to the Committee on <committee-name committee-id="HWM00">Ways and Means</committee-name>, 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</action-desc></action><legis-type>A BILL</legis-type><official-title display="yes">To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require drug manufacturers to pay a Medicare part B rebate for certain drugs if the price of such drugs increases faster than inflation.</official-title></form><legis-body id="HED6B350829044695A9A62F6F12EB85A8" style="OLC"><section id="H227DFB71906A41FB87CCF4B9F035C889" section-type="section-one"><enum>1.</enum><header>Short title</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">This Act may be cited as the <quote><short-title>Freedom from Price Gouging Act</short-title></quote>.</text></section><section id="HB852BADB912E4CCEAD1AD2C136A7B2E0"><enum>2.</enum><header>Medicare part B prescription drug inflation rebate by manufacturers</header><subsection id="H9601CF2954E244EC842C59E1C49D68D2"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Section 1834 of the Social Security Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/1395m">42 U.S.C. 1395m</external-xref>) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HB882103D69844F5C890D72D495168513" style="OLC"><subsection id="HF4C00E688FFB46AA84CDDA72919FA72C"><enum>(z)</enum><header>Rebate by manufacturers for single source drugs with prices increasing faster than inflation</header><paragraph id="HEA1C04DA82C24BAAA72A48AE66B755C1"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Requirements</header><subparagraph display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H60F03D3A036C4754BD03DA3467007A2B"><enum>(A)</enum><header>Secretarial provision of information</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Not later than 6 months after the end of each calendar quarter beginning on or after July 1, 2022, the Secretary shall, for each part B rebatable drug, report to each manufacturer of such part B rebatable drug the following for such calendar quarter:</text><clause id="H6068C2B5D23943E9BE97B78ECD79B673"><enum>(i)</enum><text>Information on the total number of billing units described in subparagraph (A)(i) of paragraph (3) with respect to such drug and calendar quarter.</text></clause><clause id="H1F607DF0713E4DCF8B56CF038721E034"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>Information on the amount (if any) of the excess average sales price increase described in subparagraph (A)(ii) of such paragraph for such drug and calendar quarter.</text></clause><clause id="H6551C6BD0F174E018B2873DDCB2A3945"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>The rebate amount specified under such paragraph for such part B rebatable drug and calendar quarter.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="HC7303BDFBCE947449F0C632812ED86AC"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Manufacturer requirement</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">For each calendar quarter beginning on or after July 1, 2022, the manufacturer of a part B rebatable drug shall, for such drug, not later than 30 days after the date of receipt from the Secretary of the information described in subparagraph (A) for such calendar quarter, provide to the Secretary a rebate that is equal to the amount specified in paragraph (3) for such drug for such calendar quarter.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" id="H386BED9C4928483899A196DCB5BAD842"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Part B rebatable drug defined</header><subparagraph id="H81516430FDA54675813F76685652E42E"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In this subsection, the term <term>part B rebatable drug</term> means a single source drug or biological (as defined in subparagraph (D) of section 1847A(c)(6)), including a biosimilar biological product (as defined in subparagraph (H) of such section), paid for under this part, except such term shall not include such a drug or biological—</text><clause commented="no" id="H419C02446E714EE2BE13DA39F232F2DB"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">if the average total allowed charges for a year per individual that uses such a drug or biological, as determined by the Secretary, are less than, subject to subparagraph (B), $100; or</text></clause><clause id="HB53BD5E30FA943D1A775EC8AB1E03118"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>that is a vaccine described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of section 1861(s)(10).</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" id="H8DD3148594E644778547903B10C5481F"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Increase</header><text>The dollar amount applied under subparagraph (A)(i)—</text><clause commented="no" id="H12A492EB206D43478B562582509264E8"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">for 2023, shall be the dollar amount specified under such subparagraph for 2022, increased by the percentage increase in the consumer price index for all urban consumers (United States city average) as of the first quarter of the previous year; and</text></clause><clause commented="no" id="H5269BFD2197D4646B17D5A6BF78A5D37"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">for a subsequent year, shall be the dollar amount specified in this clause (or clause (i)) for the previous year, increased by the percentage increase in the consumer price index for all urban consumers (United States city average) as of the first quarter of the previous year.</text></clause><continuation-text commented="no" continuation-text-level="subparagraph">Any dollar amount specified under this subparagraph that is not a multiple of $10 shall be rounded to the nearest multiple of $10. </continuation-text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" id="HD578EB8F3DAD428C8005258189EBAF1C"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Rebate amount</header><subparagraph commented="no" id="HA1D7FF9EFC80411089673238080FF63B"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">For purposes of paragraph (1)(B), the amount specified in this paragraph for a part B rebatable drug assigned to a billing and payment code for a calendar quarter is, subject to paragraph (4), the amount equal to the product of—</text><clause commented="no" id="HFEB352559EDC46C5A2406FE3F6A323B1"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">subject to subparagraph (B), the total number of billing units, as described in section 1847A(b)(6)(B), for such part B rebatable drug furnished under this part during the calendar quarter; and</text></clause><clause commented="no" id="HBFC188CCD4EC48BB8ACA32DA8570C7EA"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>the amount (if any) by which—</text><subclause commented="no" id="H60E882B12B674123AFEBDBE54AF3E4F3"><enum>(I)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the payment amount under subparagraph (B) or (C) of section 1847A(b)(1), as applicable, for such part B rebatable drug during the calendar quarter; exceeds</text></subclause><subclause commented="no" id="HED681FDC6A3940438D2F95D84E98C12C"><enum>(II)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the inflation-adjusted payment amount determined under subparagraph (C) for such part B rebatable drug during the calendar quarter.</text></subclause></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" id="H08984F40B96145D7B4BF685316E86E74"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Excluded units</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">For purposes of subparagraph (A)(i), the total number of billing units for part B rebatable drugs furnished during a calendar quarter shall not include—</text><clause display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H38A52E7CC5BB4281B5D0F24FCEE145F3"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">units packaged into the payment for a related procedure or service under section 1833(t) or under section 1833(i) (instead of separately payable under such respective section);</text></clause><clause id="H01CB5C02165C4FEF84F16403C0DE1300"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">units included under the single payment system for renal dialysis services under section 1881(b)(14); or</text></clause><clause id="H897DC2D0958A41249C09D9DEAED4C80E"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>units of a part B rebatable drug of a manufacturer that is furnished to an individual, if such manufacturer, with respect to the furnishing of such units of such drug, provides for discounts under section 340B of the Public Health Service Act or for rebates under section 1927.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="HF22E4F33E08E4D03AF0AD64BD762F91E"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Determination of inflation-adjusted payment amount</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The inflation-adjusted payment amount determined under this subparagraph for a part B rebatable drug for a calendar quarter is—</text><clause id="H359028F9FBEB4F8BB9754D187B55B09E"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the payment amount for the billing and payment code for such drug in the payment amount benchmark quarter (as defined in subparagraph (D)); increased by</text></clause><clause id="HF4E4882CEFF8428A8DEC0E3630FF41C6"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>the percentage by which the rebate period CPI–U (as defined in subparagraph (F)) for the calendar quarter exceeds the benchmark period CPI–U (as defined in subparagraph (E)).</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H43AA4CDD83C042F68994DC0889409D7A"><enum>(D)</enum><header>Payment amount benchmark quarter</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <term>payment amount benchmark quarter</term> means the calendar quarter beginning January 1, 2016.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H999586634BA2448B8E5D974948D184E7"><enum>(E)</enum><header>Benchmark period CPI–U</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <term>benchmark period CPI–U</term> means the consumer price index for all urban consumers (United States city average) for July 2015.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="HBF23A568F9044FD79950E169503B0518"><enum>(F)</enum><header>Rebate period CPI–U</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <term>rebate period CPI–U</term> means, with respect to a calendar quarter described in subparagraph (C), the greater of the benchmark period CPI–U and the consumer price index for all urban consumers (United States city average) for the first month of the calendar quarter that is two calendar quarters prior to such described calendar quarter.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H53ADA462F2DB45ADBD6108366060B007"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Special treatment of certain drugs and exemption</header><subparagraph id="H775DE0B593B74A7683D5404E17E06A5C"><enum>(A)</enum><header>Subsequently approved drugs</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subject to subparagraph (B), in the case of a part B rebatable drug first approved by the Food and Drug Administration after July 1, 2015, clause (i) of paragraph (3)(C) shall be applied as if the term <term>payment amount benchmark quarter</term> were defined under paragraph (3)(D) as the third full calendar quarter after the day on which the drug was first marketed and clause (ii) of paragraph (3)(C) shall be applied as if the term <term>benchmark period CPI–U</term> were defined under paragraph (3)(E) as if the reference to <quote>July 2015</quote> under such paragraph were a reference to <quote>the first month of the first full calendar quarter after the day on which the drug was first marketed</quote>.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" id="H4F08DC677C3D472E8DAC3829AAAE3056"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Timeline for provision of rebates for new drugs</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In the case of a part B rebatable drug first approved by the Food and Drug Administration after July 1, 2015, clause (i) of paragraph (1)(B) shall be applied as if the reference to <quote>July 1, 2022</quote> under such paragraph were a reference to the later of the 6th full calendar quarter after the day on which the drug was first marketed or July 1, 2022.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="HDBE419B78C1E4D3FB08ECC0D4D29DC01"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Exemption for shortages</header><text>The Secretary may reduce or waive the rebate under paragraph (1)(B) with respect to a part B rebatable drug that appears on the drug shortage list in effect under section 506(e) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act or in the case of other exigent circumstances, as determined by the Secretary.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" id="H76641E6E59244E7AB0F63D19AE04BE3B"><enum>(5)</enum><header>Application to beneficiary coinsurance</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In the case of a part B rebatable drug for which a rebate is payable under this subsection—</text><subparagraph id="H948BCF358242434B81B171DC50235405"><enum>(A)</enum><text>in computing the amount of any coinsurance applicable under this title to an individual with respect to such drug, the computation of such coinsurance shall be based on the inflation-adjusted payment amount determined under paragraph (3)(C) for such part B rebatable drug; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H798ABCD2AAC042E88449CFB602AAB377"><enum>(B)</enum><text>the amount of such coinsurance is equal to 20 percent of such inflation-adjusted payment amount so determined.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H936DF11477C44A7A9F78FDA96C541491"><enum>(6)</enum><header>Rebate deposits</header><text>Amounts paid as rebates under paragraph (1)(B) shall be deposited into the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund established under section 1841.</text></paragraph><paragraph id="HAC665F8ECB994E2B82A2F81267CDFD5B"><enum>(7)</enum><header>Civil money penalty</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">If a manufacturer of a part B rebatable drug has failed to comply with the requirements under paragraph (1)(B) for such drug for a calendar quarter, the manufacturer shall be subject to, in accordance with a process established by the Secretary pursuant to regulations, a civil money penalty in an amount equal to at least 125 percent of the amount specified in paragraph (3) for such drug for such calendar quarter. The provisions of section 1128A (other than subsections (a) (with respect to amounts of penalties or additional assessments) and (b)) shall apply to a civil money penalty under this paragraph in the same manner as such provisions apply to a penalty or proceeding under section 1128A(a).</text></paragraph><paragraph id="HE66B5E8294DE4A30AA68A8309F8B0FBC"><enum>(8)</enum><header>Study and report</header><subparagraph id="H10C0A470690D45EEBC9E56A3D8961908"><enum>(A)</enum><header>Study</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The Secretary shall conduct a study of the feasibility of and operational issues involved with the following:</text><clause id="H14987FB1E1EF410BBCAA00D55E106DDF"><enum>(i)</enum><text>Including multiple source drugs (as defined in section 1847A(c)(6)(C)) in the rebate system under this subsection.</text></clause><clause id="HAFAD09BC8C804F308B4EDA59E528B901"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>Including drugs and biologicals paid for under MA plans under part C in the rebate system under this subsection.</text></clause><clause id="H7ABDB8B0085A4A36ACD1D23334A8EAB6"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>Including drugs excluded under paragraph (2)(A) and billing units of drugs excluded under paragraph (3)(B) in the rebate system under this subsection.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H8BA372DDEEB740FD83ED8D2879E6EF6C"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Report</header><text>Not later than 3 years after the date of the enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the study conducted under subparagraph (A).</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H312A6AA7B8EC4BDFB5AE2BD71ACFFEA9"><enum>(9)</enum><header>Application to multiple source drugs</header><text>The Secretary may, based on the report submitted under paragraph (8) and pursuant to rulemaking, apply the provisions of this subsection to multiple source drugs (as defined in section 1847A(c)(6)(C)), including, for purposes of determining the rebate amount under paragraph (3), by calculating manufacturer-specific average sales prices for the benchmark period and the rebate period.</text></paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection id="H3BD116CB3E5D48308F6C70AAE80BEFFF"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Amounts payable; cost-Sharing</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 1833(a) of the Social Security Act (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/1395l">42 U.S.C. 1395l(a)</external-xref>) is amended—</text><paragraph id="HC4FA5FC76B8D4E628BA2E303E5C7C32F"><enum>(1)</enum><text>in paragraph (1)—</text><subparagraph id="HF78ECD8E060E415694F57B60E0CE4018"><enum>(A)</enum><text>in subparagraph (S), by striking <quote>with respect to</quote> and inserting <quote>subject to subparagraph (EE), with respect to</quote>;</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="HDF7F1ABDE00840998825171F30F07BB9"><enum>(B)</enum><text>by striking <quote>and (DD)</quote> and inserting <quote>(DD)</quote>; and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="HA8FF38CEA9C141F992577F1BCE25AB7A"><enum>(C)</enum><text>by inserting before the semicolon at the end the following: <quote>, and (EE) with respect to a part B rebatable drug (as defined in paragraph (2) of section 1834(z)) for which a rebate is payable under such section, the amounts paid shall be the difference between (i) the payment amount under paragraph (3)(A)(ii)(I) of such section for such drug, and (ii) 20 percent of the inflation-adjusted payment amount under paragraph (3)(A)(ii)(II) of such section for such drug</quote>; and</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H00B546CB86564BBD91718CB127CC5A3C"><enum>(2)</enum><text>by adding at the end of the flush left matter following paragraph (10), the following:</text><quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H2CD85B782D8B4693AD57DB1F77123DD7" style="OLC"><quoted-block-continuation-text quoted-block-continuation-text-level="subsection">For purposes of applying paragraph (1)(EE) and section 1834(z)(5), the Secretary shall make such estimates and use such data as the Secretary determines appropriate.</quoted-block-continuation-text><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="HB51AEB0800F3419195F15AAD96274673"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Conforming amendment to part B ASP calculation</header><text>Section 1847A(c)(3) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w–3a(c)(3)) is amended by inserting <quote>or section 1834(z)</quote> after <quote>section 1927</quote>.</text></subsection></section></legis-body></bill> 

