,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #da  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the 
,,united ,,states  ,january #e1         
#bjag,ms4 ,klobuchar 7for herself1 ,mr4 
,blumenthal1 ,mrs4 ,shaheen1 ,ms4       
,baldwin1 ,mr4 ,king1 ,mr4 ,brown1 ,mr4 
,leahy1 ,mr4 ,franken1 and ,mr4 ,kaine7 
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,finance  ,a ,,bill  ,to  
amend part ,d of title ,,xviii of the   
,social ,security ,act to require the   
,secretary of ,health and ,human        
,services to negotiate covered part ,d  
drug prices on behalf of ,medicare      
beneficiaries4  #a4 ,short title ,this  
,act may be cited as the ,medicare      
,prescription ,drug ,price ,negotiation 
,act of #bjag4  #b4 ,negotiation of     
lower covered part ,d drug prices on    
behalf of ,medicare beneficiaries  7a7  
,negotiation by ,secretary ,section     
#ahfj;,d-#aa of the ,social ,security   
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciew-#aaa7 is     
amended by striking subsection 7i7      

7relating to noninterference7 and       
inserting the following3  7i7           
,negotiation of ,lower ,drug ,prices    
7#a7 ,in general ,notwithstanding any   
other provision of law1 the ,secretary  
shall negotiate with pharmaceutical     
manufacturers the prices 7including     
discounts1 rebates1 and other price     
concessions7 that may be charged to     
,,pdp sponsors and ,,ma organizations   
for covered part ,d drugs for part ,d   
eligible individuals who are enrolled   
under a prescription drug plan or under 
an ,,ma-,,pd plan4  7#b7 ,no change in  
rules for formularies  7,a7 ,in general 
,nothing in paragraph 7#a7 shall be     
construed to authorize the ,secretary to
 establish or require a particular      
formulary4  7,b7 ,construction          
,subparagraph 7,a7 shall not be         
construed as affecting the ,secretary's 
authority to ensure appropriate and     
adequate access to covered part ,d drugs
 under prescription drug plans and under
 ,,ma-,,pd plans1 including compliance  

of such plans with formulary            
requirements under section              
#ahfj;,d-#d7;b77#c74  7#c7 ,construction
 ,nothing in this subsection shall be   
construed as preventing the sponsor of a
 prescription drug plan1 or an          
organization offering an ,,ma-,,pd plan1
 from obtaining a discount or reduction 
of the price for a covered part ,d drug 
below the price negotiated under        
paragraph 7#a74  7#d7 ,semi-annual      
reports to congress ,not later than     
,june #a1 #bjah1 and every #f months    
thereafter1 the ,secretary shall submit 
to the ,committees on ,ways and ,means1 
,energy and ,commerce1 and ,oversight   
and ,government ,reform of the ,house of
 ,representatives and the ,committee on 
,finance of the ,senate a report on     
negotiations conducted by the ,secretary
 to achieve lower prices for ,medicare  
beneficiaries1 and the prices and price 
discounts achieved by the ,secretary as 
a result of such negotiations4  4  7b7  
,effective date ,the amendment made by  

subsection 7a7 shall take effect on the 
date of the enactment of this ,act and  
shall first apply to negotiations and   
prices for plan years beginning on      
,january #a1 #bjah4