Bill > S1753

This bill, called the "End Price Gouging for Medications Act", requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish annual reference prices for prescription drugs across several federal health programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, Veterans Affairs, Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, and Indian Health Care programs. The reference prices will be determined by either selecting the lowest retail list price among 12 specified countries (including Canada, UK, Germany, etc.) or, if pricing information is unavailable, by evaluating factors like the drug's therapeutic effect, research costs, and patient access. Drug manufacturers would be required to offer prescription drugs at these reference prices to all individuals, including uninsured and those with private health insurance. If a manufacturer does not comply, they would face a civil penalty equal to five times the difference between their actual sales and what they would have received at the reference price. Any collected penalties would be transferred to the National Institutes of Health to fund drug research and development. The reference pricing would apply to both brand-name and generic drugs, aiming to create a more standardized and potentially more affordable prescription drug market across federal health programs.

Health and Social Services

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1753/all-info