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Lower Drug Costs for Families Act
4/22/2025, 4:07 PM
Summary of Bill S 1186
One of the key provisions of the bill is changing the base year for calculating these rebates. Currently, drug manufacturers are required to provide rebates based on the average manufacturer price of drugs in 2016. The Prescription Drug Pricing Reform Act seeks to update this base year to reflect more recent pricing data, in order to ensure that rebates accurately reflect current market conditions.
By applying inflation rebates to drugs sold in the commercial market, the bill aims to address rising prescription drug costs and ensure that Medicare beneficiaries are not paying more for their medications than necessary. This change could potentially lead to lower drug prices for consumers and reduce overall healthcare spending. Overall, the Prescription Drug Pricing Reform Act seeks to increase transparency and accountability in the pharmaceutical industry, while also working to make prescription drugs more affordable for all Americans.
Congressional Summary of S 1186
Lower Drug Costs for Families Act
This bill applies certain Medicare prescription drug rebate requirements to prescription drugs that are available under private health insurance.
Current law requires drug manufacturers to issue rebates to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for brand-name drugs without generic equivalents under Medicare that (1) cost $100 or more per year per individual, and (2) for which prices increase faster than inflation. Manufacturers that fail to comply are subject to civil penalties.
The bill applies these requirements to prescription drugs that are available in the commercial market under private health insurance. It also indexes rebate calculations to drug prices in 2016 (as opposed to 2021).
Read the Full Bill
Current Status of Bill S 1186
Bipartisan Support of Bill S 1186
Total Number of Sponsors
6Democrat Sponsors
6Republican Sponsors
0Unaffiliated Sponsors
0Total Number of Cosponsors
23Democrat Cosponsors
21Republican Cosponsors
0Unaffiliated Cosponsors
2Policy Area and Potential Impact of Bill S 1186
Primary Policy Focus
HealthAlternate Title(s) of Bill S 1186
Comments

Leland Rollins
8 months ago
This bill will help lower drug costs for families by allowing Medicare to negotiate prices with drug companies. It will also cap out-of-pocket costs for seniors at $2,000 per year. This is a great step in the right direction to make healthcare more affordable for everyone. Did you know that this bill also includes provisions to increase transparency in drug pricing?





