,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #cfae  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,february #i1  
#bjbb,mr4 ,sanders 7for himself and ,ms4
 ,klobuchar7 introduced the following   
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,finance  ,a ,,bill
  ,to establish a cap on costs for      
covered prescription drugs under        
,medicare parts ,b and ,d4  #a4 ,short  
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,cutting ,medicare ,prescription ,drug  
,prices in ,half ,act4  #b4 ,cap on     
costs for covered prescription drugs    
under ,medicare parts ,b and ,d  7a7 ,in
 general ,title ,,xviii of the ,social  
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acie et  
seq47 is amended by adding at the end   
the following new section3  #ahii;,c4   
,cap on costs for covered prescription  
drugs under ,medicare parts ,b and ,d   
7a7 ,in general ,in no case may the     
amount of payment for a drug or         
biological under part ,b or a covered   
part ,d drug 7as defined in section     

#ahfj;,d-#b7;e77 under a prescription   
drug plan under part ,d exceed the lower
 of the following3 7#a7 ,the amount paid
 by the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs
 to procure the drug under the laws     
administered by the ,secretary4  7#b7   
,the amount paid to procure the drug    
through the ,federal ,supply ,schedule  
of the ,general ,services               
,administration4  7b7 ,manufacturer     
requirement ,in order for coverage to be
 available under part ,b for a drug or  
biological of a manufacturer or under   
part ,d for a covered part ,d drug of a 
manufacturer1 the manufacturer must     
agree to provide such drug or biological
 to providers of services and suppliers 
under part ,b or such covered part ,d   
drug to prescription drug plans under   
part ,d for an amount that does not     
exceed the maximum payment amount       
applicable under subsection 7a74  7c7   
,access to pricing information ,the     
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs and the
 ,administrator of ,general ,services   

shall provide to the ,secretary of      
,health and ,human ,services the        
information described in paragraphs 7#a7
 and 7#b71 respectively1 of subsection  
7a7 and such other information as the   
,secretary of ,health and ,human        
,services may request in order to carry 
out this section4  7d7 ,effective date  
,this section shall apply with respect  
to drugs furnished or dispensed on or   
after ,october #a1 #bjbb4  4  7b7       
,conforming amendments  7#a7            
,application under part ,b ,section     
#ahdg;,a of the ,social ,security ,act  
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciew-#c;a7 is amended--
 7,a7 in subsection 7b77#a71 by striking
 and 7e7 and inserting 7e71 and 7i72    
7,b7 by redesignating subsection 7i7 as 
subsection 7j72 and  7,c7 by inserting  
after subsection 7h7 the following      
subsection3  7i7 ,application of cap on 
costs for part ,b drugs ,notwithstanding
 the preceding provisions of this       
subsection1 the amount of payment under 
this section for a drug or biological   

furnished on or after ,october #a1      
#bjbb1 shall not exceed the maximum     
payment amount applicable to the drug or
 biological under section #ahii;,c7a74  
4  7#b7 ,application as negotiated price
 under part ,d ,section                 
#ahfj;,d-#b7;d77#a77;,b7 of the ,social 
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#aciew-#ajb7;d77#a77;,b77 is amended by 
adding at the end the following new     
sentence3 ,notwithstanding any other    
provision of this part1 the negotiated  
price used for payment for a covered    
part ,d drug dispensed on or after      
,october #a1 #bjbb1 shall not exceed the
 maximum payment amount applicable to   
the covered part ,d drug under section  
#ahii;,c7a744