Bill > S470

Introduced Session

A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for an option for any citizen or permanent resident of the United States age 50 to 64 to buy into Medicare. This bill establishes a Medicare buy-in option for certain qualifying individuals and also repeals restrictions relating to prescription drug prices under the Medicare prescription drug benefit. Specifically, the bill allows individuals aged 50 to 64 to enroll in Medicare if such individuals would otherwise qualify for Medicare at the age of 65. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must determine enrollment periods and set premiums for the buy-in option established under the bill, in accordance with specified requirements. The CMS must also award grants to states and nonprofit organizations for outreach and enrollment activities relating to the buy-in option. The bill also repeals provisions that prohibit the CMS from negotiating the prices of prescription drugs or from establishing a formulary under the Medicare prescription drug benefit.

Committee Categories

Debbie Stabenow (D)*,  Tammy Baldwin (D),  Richard Blumenthal (D),  Cory Booker (D),  Sherrod Brown (D),  Ben Cardin (D),  Bob Casey (D),  Tammy Duckworth (D),  Dick Durbin (D),  Kirsten Gillibrand (D),  Kamala Harris (D),  Martin Heinrich (D),  Amy Klobuchar (D),  Patrick Leahy (D),  Ed Markey (D),  Jeff Merkley (D),  Gary Peters (D),  Jack Reed (D),  Jeanne Shaheen (D),  Tina Smith (D),  Sheldon Whitehouse (D), 

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (on 02/13/2019)

Official Document