,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bdjh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #bj1     
#bjbc ,mr4 ,scott of ,south ,carolina   
7for himself and ,mr4 ,warner7          
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 provide for           
patient-focused listening sessions to   
improve prescription drug plan          
transparency1 access1 and choice4  #a4  
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,initiating ,meaningful ,patient    
,review ,of ,various ,existing ,part ,d 
,regulations ,act or the ,,improve ,part
 ,d ,regulations ,act4  #b4             
,patient-focused listening sessions to  
improve prescription drug plan          
transparency1 access1 and choice        
,section #ahfj;,d-#db of the ,social    
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#aciew-#aeb7 is amended by adding at the
 end the following new subsection3  7e7 

,patient-,focused listening sessions for
 program improvements  7#a7 ,in general 
,no later than ,december #ca1 #bjbd1 the
 ,secretary shall convene at least one  
patient-focused listening session on    
potential administrative improvements to
 this part1 as described in paragraph   
7#b74  7#b7 ,patient-focused listening  
sessions ,any patient-focused listening 
sessions convened under paragraph 7#a7  
shall be open to the public and may     
include patients1 beneficiaries1        
caregivers1 consumer and patient        
advocacy organizations1 health care     
providers1 and other interested parties1
 as determined appropriate by the       
,secretary4 ,such listening sessions may
 include discussions of1 and            
recommendations for program improvements
 related to--  7,a7 prescription drug   
plan disclosures and comparative        
information made available to           
beneficiaries2  7,b7 tools and          
mechanisms to assist beneficiaries in   
navigating plan complaint systems1 as   

well as the efficiency and effectiveness
 of such systems2  7,c7 tools and       
mechanisms to assist beneficiaries in   
selecting a prescription drug plan2     
7,d7 tools and mechanisms to assist     
beneficiaries in navigating utilization 
management requirements1 such as step   
therapy and prior authorization2  7,e7  
access to1 and effectiveness and        
utilization of1 electronic real-time    
benefit tools 7as described in section  
#ahfj;,d-#d7o77 and beneficiary         
real-time benefit tools 7as described in
 section #dbc4abh7;d77#d7 of title #db1 
,code of ,federal ,regulations1 or any  
successor regulation72  7,f7 formulary  
management and oversight2 and  7,g7     
other subjects relevant to patients and 
other interested parties4  7#c7 ,program
 review ,based on the recommendations   
discussed during any patient-focused    
listening sessions convened under       
paragraph 7#a71 the ,secretary shall    
conduct a review of relevant regulatory 
and sub-regulatory requirements under   

this part and shall consider1 as        
appropriate1 potential regulatory or    
sub-regulatory changes to address issues
 raised during such sessions4  4