Medicare Extra Rx HELP Act of 2019

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 4583 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to enhance prescription drug affordability by expanding access to assistance with out-of-pocket costs under Medicare part D for low-income seniors and individuals with disabilities. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OCTOBER 1, 2019 Mr. SCHNEIDER (for himself and Ms. KELLY of Illinois) introduced the fol- lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Com- merce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a pe- riod to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for con- sideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com- mittee concerned A BILL To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to enhance prescription drug affordability by expanding access to assistance with out-of-pocket costs under Medicare part D for low-income seniors and individuals with disabilities. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Medicare Extra Rx 4 Higher Eligibility Limits in Part D Act of 2019’’ or the 5 ‘‘Medicare Extra Rx HELP Act of 2019’’. 6 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:50 Oct 07, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4583.IH H4583 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 4583 IH SEC. 2. ENHANCING PRESCRIPTION DRUG AFFORDABILITY 1 BY EXPANDING ACCESS TO ASSISTANCE WITH 2 OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS UNDER MEDICARE 3 PART D FOR LOW-INCOME SENIORS AND IN- 4 DIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES. 5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1860D–14 of the Social 6 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w–114) is amended— 7 (1) in subsection (a)— 8 (A) in the heading, by striking ‘‘150 PER- 9 CENT’’ and inserting ‘‘200 PERCENT’’; 10 (B) in paragraph (1)— 11 (i) in the heading, by striking ‘‘135 12 PERCENT’’ and inserting ‘‘200 PERCENT’’; 13 and 14 (ii) in the matter preceding subpara- 15 graph (A)— 16 (I) by striking ‘‘135 percent’’ and 17 inserting ‘‘200 percent’’; and 18 (II) by striking ‘‘and who meets 19 the resources requirement described in 20 paragraph (3)(D) or who is covered 21 under this paragraph under para- 22 graph (3)(B)(i)’’ and inserting ‘‘or 23 who is covered under this paragraph 24 under paragraph (3)(B)(v)’’; 25 (C) by striking paragraph (2); 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:50 Oct 07, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4583.IH H4583 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 4583 IH (D) in paragraph (3)— 1 (i) in subparagraph (A)— 2 (I) in clause (i), by adding ‘‘and’’ 3 at the end; 4 (II) in clause (ii)— 5 (aa) by striking ‘‘150 per- 6 cent’’ and inserting ‘‘200 per- 7 cent’’; and 8 (bb) by striking ‘‘; and’’ at 9 the end and inserting a period; 10 and 11 (III) by striking clause (iii); and 12 (ii) by striking subparagraphs (D), 13 (E), and (G); and 14 (E) in paragraph (4), by striking subpara- 15 graph (B); and 16 (2) in subsection (c)(1), in the second sentence, 17 by striking ‘‘subsections (a)(1)(D) and (a)(2)(E)’’ 18 and inserting ‘‘subsection (a)(1)(D)’’. 19 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 1905(p)(1) 20 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396d(p)(1)) is 21 amended by adding at the end the following flush matter: 22 ‘‘The Secretary shall apply subparagraph (C) as if the 23 amendments made by section 2(a) of the Medicare Extra 24 Rx Higher Eligibility Limits in Part D Act of 2019 had 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:50 Oct 07, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4583.IH H4583 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 4583 IH not been enacted and shall continue to calculate the max- 1 imum resource level applied for a year under section 2 1860D–14(a)(3)(D) (as in effect on the day before the 3 date of enactment of such Act) without regard to such 4 amendments.’’. 5 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 6 subsection (a) shall apply to plan year 2020 and subse- 7 quent plan years. 8 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:50 Oct 07, 2019 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H4583.IH H4583 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS