,,ii  #aadth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #fdh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,march #d1 #bjae,mr4
 ,grassley 7for himself and ,mr4 ,brown7
 introduced the following bill2 which   
was read twice and referred to the      
,committee on ,finance  ,a ,,bill  ,to  
amend title ,,xviii of the ,social      
,security ,act to improve formulary     
requirements for prescription drug plans
 and ,,ma-,,pd plans with respect to    
certain categories or classes of drugs4 
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,medicare ,formulary            
,improvement ,act of #bjae4  #b4        
,improving formulary requirements for   
prescription drug plans and ,,ma-,,pd   
plans with respect to certain categories
 or classes of drugs  7a7 ,in general   
,section #ahfj;,d-#d7;b77#c77;,g7 of the
 ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4  
#aciew-#ajd7;b77#c77;,g77 is amended to 
read as follows3  7,g7 ,required        
inclusion of drugs in certain categories
 and classes  7i7 ,formulary            

requirements  7,i7 ,in general ,subject 
to subclause 7,,ii71 a ,,pdp sponsor    
offering a prescription drug plan shall 
be required to include all covered part 
,d drugs in the categories and classes  
described in clause 7iii74  7,,ii7      
,exceptions ,subject to clause 7ii71 the
 ,secretary may establish exceptions    
that permit a ,,pdp sponsor offering a  
prescription drug plan to exclude from  
its formulary a particular covered part 
,d drug in a category or class that is  
otherwise required to be included in the
 formulary under subclause 7,i7 7or to  
otherwise limit access to such a drug1  
including through prior authorization or
 utilization management74  7ii7         
,implementation ,the ,secretary shall   
establish any exceptions under clause   
7i77,,ii7 through the promulgation of a 
regulation which includes a public      
notice and comment period4  7iii7       
,requirement for certain categories and 
classes ,the following categories and   
classes of drugs are described in this  

clause3 7,i7 ,anticonvulsants4  7,,ii7  
,antidepressants4  7,,iii7              
,antineoplastics4  7,,iv7               
,antipsychotics4  7,v7 ,antiretrovirals4
  7,,vi7 ,immunosuppressants for the    
treatment of transplant rejection4  4   
7b7 ,effective date ,the amendment made 
by subsection 7a7 shall apply to plan   
year #bjae and subsequent plan years4