,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #ccbg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,august #a1    
#bjah,ms4 ,cortez ,masto 7for herself   
and ,mr4 ,kennedy7 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 authorize 
the suspension of payments by ,medicare 
prescription drug plans and ,,ma-,,pd   
plans pending investigations of credible
 allegations of fraud by pharmacies4    
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,stop ,excessive ,narcotics ,in 
,our ,retirement ,communities           
,protection ,act or the ,,senior        
,communities ,protection ,act4  #b4     
,suspension of payments by ,medicare    
prescription drug plans and ,,ma-,,pd   
plans pending investigations of credible
 allegations of fraud by pharmacies  7a7
 ,in general ,section #ahfj;,d-#ab7;b7  
of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db      
,u4,s4,c4 #aciew-#aab7;b77 is amended by

 adding at the end the following new    
paragraph3  7#g7 ,suspension of payments
 pending investigation of credible      
allegations of fraud by pharmacies  7,a7
 ,in general ,the provisions of section 
#ahfb7o7 shall apply with respect to a  
,,pdp sponsor with a contract under this
 part1 a pharmacy1 and payments to such 
pharmacy under this part in the same    
manner as such provisions apply with    
respect to the ,secretary1 a provider of
 services or supplier1 and payments to  
such provider of services or supplier   
under this title4  7,b7 ,rule of        
construction ,nothing in this paragraph 
shall be construed as limiting the      
authority of a ,,pdp sponsor to conduct 
postpayment review4  4  7b7 ,application
 to ,,ma-,,pd plans ,section            
#aheg7;f77#c7 of the ,social ,security  
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciew-#bg7;f77#c77 
is amended by adding at the end the     
following new subparagraph3  7,d7       
,suspension of payments pending         
investigation of credible allegations of

 fraud by pharmacies ,section           
#ahfj;,d-#ab7;b77#g74  4  7c7           
,conforming amendment ,section          
#ahfb7o77#c7 of the ,social ,security   
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciey7o77#c77 is   
amended by inserting 1 section          
#ahfj;,d-#ab7;b77#g7 7including as      
applied pursuant to section             
#aheg7;f77#c77;,d771 after this         
subsection4  7d7 ,clarification relating
 to credible allegation of fraud        
,section #ahfb7o7 of the ,social        
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciey7o77
 is amended by adding at the end the    
following new paragraph3  7#d7 ,credible
 allegation of fraud ,in carrying out   
this subsection1 section                
#ahfj;,d-#ab7;b77#g7 7including as      
applied pursuant to section             
#aheg7;f77#c77;,d771 and section        
#aijc7;i77#b77;,c71 a fraud hotline tip 
7as defined by the ,secretary7 without  
further evidence shall not be treated as
 sufficient evidence for a credible     
allegation of fraud4  4  7e7 ,effective 

date ,the amendments made by this       
section shall apply with respect to plan
 years beginning on or after ,january   
#a1 #bjbj4