http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills info@washingtonwatch.com http://www.pjdoland.com/chai/?v=0.1 http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/history/110_HR_1218.html?rev=1873 <p>H.R. 1218 would amend part D of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate for lower prices for Medicare prescription drugs and to eliminate the gap in coverage of Medicare prescription drug benefits, and it would authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to promulgate regulations for the reimportation of prescription drugs.</p> <h2 id="toc0"> Detailed Summary </h2> <p>Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to repeal provisions prohibiting the Secretary of Health and Human Services from interfering with the negotiations between drug manufacturers and pharmacies and prescription drug plan sponsors. Grants the Secretary authority similar to that of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Secretary of Defense, and the heads of other Federal agencies and departments that purchase prescription drugs in bulk to negotiate contracts with manufacturers of covered Medicare part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) drugs.</p> <p>Eliminates the initial coverage limit on the maximum costs that may be recognized for payment purposes (including the annual deductible) with respect to prescription drug benefits.</p> <p>Pharmaceutical Market Access Act of 2007 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to: (1) repeal certain sections of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 relating to importation of prescription drugs from Canada; and (2) restore previous law. Amends such restored law to direct the Secretary to promulgate regulations allowing qualifying individuals (in addition to pharmacists and wholesalers) to import covered products.</p> <p>Repeals the mandate that the Secretary require that a foreign seller specify the original source of the product and the amount of each lot of the product originally received.</p> <p>Amends provisions regarding the testing of imported covered products. Declares that specified tests shall not be required unless the importer is a wholesaler. Requires such tests to be conducted by the importer-wholesaler unless a product is a prescription drug subject to the provisions of this Act pertaining to counterfeit-resistant packaging.</p> <p>Classifies prescription drugs as misbranded if they do not incorporate specified counterfeit-resistant technologies in packaging. Directs the Secretary to require that the packaging of any subject drug incorporate specified overt optically variable counterfeit-resistant technologies.</p> <!--Leave in the 'summary' tags if you want the latest summary from the Congressional Research Service automatically to replace the text between the tags once it becomes available. --> <h2 id="toc1"> Status of the Legislation </h2> <p>Latest Major Action: 2/27/2007: Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.</p> <!-- Leave in the 'status' tags if you want the latest reported status from THOMAS automatically to replace the text between the tags once it becomes available. --> <h2 id="toc2"> Points in Favor </h2> <p>(Log in to edit the wiki and be the first to show why the bill should pass!)<br /> <!-- First editor: Go ahead and take out the sentence in parentheses, and this notice! --> </p> <h2 id="toc3"> Points Against </h2> <p>(Log in to edit the wiki and be the first to show why the bill should not pass!)<br /> <!-- First editor: Go ahead and take out the sentence in parentheses, and this notice! --> </p> 1873@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:00:00 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/history/110_HR_1218.html?rev=1874 <p>H.R. 1218 would amend part D of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate for lower prices for Medicare prescription drugs and to eliminate the gap in coverage of Medicare prescription drug benefits, and it would authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to promulgate regulations for the reimportation of prescription drugs.</p> <h2 id="toc4"> Detailed Summary </h2> <p>Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to repeal provisions prohibiting the Secretary of Health and Human Services from interfering with the negotiations between drug manufacturers and pharmacies and prescription drug plan sponsors. Grants the Secretary authority similar to that of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Secretary of Defense, and the heads of other Federal agencies and departments that purchase prescription drugs in bulk to negotiate contracts with manufacturers of covered Medicare part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) drugs.</p> <p>Eliminates the initial coverage limit on the maximum costs that may be recognized for payment purposes (including the annual deductible) with respect to prescription drug benefits.</p> <p>Pharmaceutical Market Access Act of 2007 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to: (1) repeal certain sections of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 relating to importation of prescription drugs from Canada; and (2) restore previous law. Amends such restored law to direct the Secretary to promulgate regulations allowing qualifying individuals (in addition to pharmacists and wholesalers) to import covered products.</p> <p>Repeals the mandate that the Secretary require that a foreign seller specify the original source of the product and the amount of each lot of the product originally received.</p> <p>Amends provisions regarding the testing of imported covered products. Declares that specified tests shall not be required unless the importer is a wholesaler. Requires such tests to be conducted by the importer-wholesaler unless a product is a prescription drug subject to the provisions of this Act pertaining to counterfeit-resistant packaging.</p> <p>Classifies prescription drugs as misbranded if they do not incorporate specified counterfeit-resistant technologies in packaging. Directs the Secretary to require that the packaging of any subject drug incorporate specified overt optically variable counterfeit-resistant technologies.</p> <!--Leave in the 'summary' tags if you want the latest summary from the Congressional Research Service automatically to replace the text between the tags once it becomes available. --> <h2 id="toc5"> Status of the Legislation </h2> <p>Latest Major Action: 3/7/2007: Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.</p> <!-- Leave in the 'status' tags if you want the latest reported status from THOMAS automatically to replace the text between the tags once it becomes available. --> <h2 id="toc6"> Points in Favor </h2> <p>(Log in to edit the wiki and be the first to show why the bill should pass!)<br /> <!-- First editor: Go ahead and take out the sentence in parentheses, and this notice! --> </p> <h2 id="toc7"> Points Against </h2> <p>(Log in to edit the wiki and be the first to show why the bill should not pass!)<br /> <!-- First editor: Go ahead and take out the sentence in parentheses, and this notice! --> </p> 1874@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:00:00 EDT http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_1218.html 3/7/2007: Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health. 22574@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Wed, 07 Mar 2007 00:00:00 EST http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/110_HR_1218.html 2/27/2007: Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health. 18809@http://www.washingtonwatch.com Tue, 27 Feb 2007 00:00:00 EST