,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dhda  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,january #ah1        
#bjah,mr4 ,schweikert 7for himself1 ,mr4
 ,ben ,ray ,lujn of ,new ,mexico1 ,mr4  
,johnson of ,ohio1 and ,mr4 ,thompson of
 ,california7 introduced the following  
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce1 and
 in addition to the ,committee on ,ways 
and ,means1 for a period to be          
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to amend title ,,xviii of   
the ,social ,security ,act to provide   
for electronic prior authorization under
 ,medicare part ,d for covered part ,d  
drugs1 and for other purposes4  #a4     
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,standardizing ,electronic ,prior   
,authorization for ,safe ,prescribing   
,act of #bjah4  #b4 ,electronic prior   
authorization for covered part ,d drugs 

7a7 ,inclusion in electronic            
prescription program ,section           
#ahfj;,d-#d7;e77#b7 of the ,social      
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#aciew-#ajd7;e77#b77 is amended by      
adding at the end the following new     
subparagraph3  7,e7 ,electronic prior   
authorization  7i7 ,in general          
,effective on and after ,january #a1    
#bjbj1 the program shall provide for the
 secure electronic transmittal of--     
7,i7 a prior authorization request from 
the prescribing health care professional
 for coverage of a covered part ,d drug 
for a part ,d eligible individual       
enrolled in a part ,d plan 7as defined  
in section #ahfj;,d-#bc7;a77#e77 to the 
,,pdp sponsor or ,medicare ,advantage   
organization offering such plan2 and    
7,,ii7 a response1 in accordance with   
this subparagraph1 from such ,,pdp      
sponsor or ,medicare ,advantage         
organization1 respectively1 to such     
professional4  7ii7 ,electronic         
transmission  7,i7 ,exclusions ,for     

purposes of this subparagraph1 a        
facsimile1 proprietary payer portal1 or 
electronic form shall not be treated as 
an electronic transmission described in 
clause 7i74  7,,ii7 ,standards ,in order
 to be treated1 for purposes of this    
subparagraph1 as an electronic          
transmission described in clause 7i71   
such transmission shall comply with     
technical standards adopted by the      
,secretary in consultation with the     
,national ,council for ,prescription    
,drug ,programs1 other standard setting 
organizations determined appropriate by 
the ,secretary1 and stakeholders        
including ,,pdp sponsors1 ,medicare     
,advantage organizations1 health care   
professionals1 and health information   
technology software vendors4  4  7b7    
,sense of ,congress regarding electronic
 prior authorization ,it is the sense of
 the ,congress that-- 7#a7 there should 
be increased use of electronic prior    
authorizations for coverage of covered  
part ,d drugs for part ,d eligible      

individuals enrolled in prescription    
drug plans under part ,d of title       
,,xviii of the ,social ,security ,act   
and ,,ma-,,pd plans under part ,c of    
such title to reduce access delays by   
resolving coverage issues before        
prescriptions for such drugs are        
transmitted2 and  7#b7 greater priority 
should be placed on increasing the      
adoption of use of such electronic prior
 authorizations among prescribers of    
such drugs1 pharmacies1 ,,pdp sponsors1 
and ,medicare ,advantage organizations4