To amend part D of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to limit the monthly amount of prescription drug cost-sharing for full-benefit dual eligible individuals and other lowest-income individuals under the Medicare Prescription Drug Program.

Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to limit to $10, adjusted for inflation, the monthly amount of prescription drug cost-sharing for full-benefit dual eligible individuals (eligible for both part D and Medicaid under SSA title XIX) and other lowest-income individuals.

[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6357 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6357

To amend part D of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to limit the 
monthly amount of prescription drug cost-sharing for full-benefit dual 
  eligible individuals and other lowest-income individuals under the 
                  Medicare Prescription Drug Program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 5, 2006

 Mr. Crowley 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 part D of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to limit the 
monthly amount of prescription drug cost-sharing for full-benefit dual 
  eligible individuals and other lowest-income individuals under the 
                  Medicare Prescription Drug Program.

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

SECTION 1. LIMITATION ON THE MONTHLY AMOUNT OF PRESCRIPTION DRUG COST-
              SHARING FOR FULL-BENEFIT DUAL ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS AND 
              OTHER LOWEST-INCOME INDIVIDUALS UNDER THE MEDICARE 
              PRESCRIPTION DRUG PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Section 1860D-14(a) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395w-114(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)(D), by adding at the end the following 
        new clause:
                            ``(iv) Monthly limitation on copayments.--
                        In no case shall the total of the copayments 
                        under this subparagraph for an individual for 
                        covered part D drugs in a month exceed $10.''; 
                        and
            (2) in paragraph (4), by adding at the end the following 
        new subparagraph:
                    ``(C) Limitation on copayment for lowest income 
                individuals.--The dollar amount applied under paragraph 
                (1)(D)(iv)--
                            ``(i) for the first year beginning after 
                        the date of the enactment of this subparagraph 
                        shall be the dollar amount specified in such 
                        paragraph increased by the annual percentage 
                        increase in the consumer price index (all 
                        items; U.S. city average) as of September of 
                        the previous year; or
                            ``(ii) for a subsequent year shall be the 
                        dollar amount specified in this clause (or 
                        clause (i)) for the previous year increased by 
                        the annual percentage increase in the consumer 
                        price index (all items; U.S. city average) as 
                        of September of the previous year.
                Any amount established under clause (i) or (ii) that is 
                not a multiple of $1 shall be rounded to the nearest 
                multiple of $1.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
apply to benefits for years beginning after the date of the enactment 
of this Act.
                                 <all>