Reduced Costs and Continued Cures Act of 2021

Hozzl · 2022-12-30T11:18:35Z

Explore the details of House Bill 5237 Reduced Costs and Continued Cures Act of 2021 currently in Congress. Get insights into its purpose, current status, sponsors, and potential impact on Health. Stay informed on legislative developments.

12/30/2022, 11:18 AM

Summary of Bill HR 5237

Bill 117 HR 5237, also known as the Reduced Costs and Continued Cures Act of 2021, aims to address the rising costs of healthcare in the United States while also promoting continued research and development of cures for various diseases. The bill includes provisions to increase transparency in drug pricing, improve access to affordable medications, and incentivize the development of new treatments.

One key aspect of the bill is the establishment of a Drug Price Transparency Board, which would be responsible for monitoring and regulating drug prices to ensure that they are fair and reasonable. The board would also work to increase competition in the pharmaceutical industry, which could help drive down costs for consumers.

Additionally, the bill includes measures to expand access to generic medications and biosimilars, which are lower-cost alternatives to brand-name drugs. This could help make essential medications more affordable for patients, particularly those with chronic conditions who rely on expensive treatments. Furthermore, the Reduced Costs and Continued Cures Act of 2021 includes provisions to support research and development of new cures and treatments for diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's, and diabetes. This includes funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other research institutions to continue their important work in finding cures for these devastating illnesses. Overall, Bill 117 HR 5237 seeks to strike a balance between reducing healthcare costs for Americans and ensuring that research and development of life-saving cures can continue. By addressing drug pricing, increasing access to affordable medications, and supporting medical research, the bill aims to improve the health and well-being of all Americans.

Congressional Summary of HR 5237

Reduced Costs and Continued Cures Act of 2021

This bill establishes and alters several programs and requirements relating to the prices of prescription drugs.

For example, the bill establishes and alters several requirements under Medicare and Medicaid, including

requiring drug manufacturers to issue rebates to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for covered drugs under Medicare that cost $100 or more and for which the average manufacturer price increases faster than inflation,
capping annual out-of-pocket spending under the Medicare prescription drug benefit, and
increasing the maximum rebate amount under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program.

The bill also makes changes relating to market exclusivities and manufacturer price concessions for prescription drugs, including

authorizing the Federal Trade Commission to initiate proceedings against parties to settlements of patent infringement claims that have anticompetitive effects with respect to drugs or biologics,
limiting in certain instances the number of patents that the manufacturer of a biologic can assert in a lawsuit against a company seeking to sell a biosimilar version, and
nullifying regulations relating to the treatment of certain Medicare prescription drug benefit rebates from drug manufacturers for purposes of federal anti-kickback laws.

Read the Full Bill

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Current Status of Bill HR 5237

Bill HR 5237 is currently in the status of Bill Introduced since September 10, 2021. Bill HR 5237 was introduced during Congress 117 and was introduced to the House on September 10, 2021. Bill HR 5237's most recent activity was Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet. as of November 1, 2022

Bipartisan Support of Bill HR 5237

Total Number of Sponsors

Democrat Sponsors

Republican Sponsors

Unaffiliated Sponsors

Total Number of Cosponsors

Democrat Cosponsors

Republican Cosponsors

Unaffiliated Cosponsors

Policy Area and Potential Impact of Bill HR 5237

Primary Policy Focus

Health

Potential Impact Areas

- Accounting and auditing

- Administrative law and regulatory procedures

- Administrative remedies

- Appropriations

- Civil actions and liability

- Competition and antitrust

- Congressional oversight

- Consumer affairs

- Contracts and agency

- Department of Health and Human Services

- Digestive and metabolic diseases

- Drug safety, medical device, and laboratory regulation

- Drug therapy

- Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

- Genetics

- Government studies and investigations

- Health care costs and insurance

- Health care coverage and access

- Health care quality

- Health programs administration and funding

- Health technology, devices, supplies

- Home and outpatient care

- Inflation and prices

- Intellectual property

- Intergovernmental relations

- Judicial review and appeals

- Licensing and registrations

- Manufacturing

- Marketing and advertising

- Medicaid

- Medicare

- Performance measurement

- Prescription drugs

- Public contracts and procurement

- State and local government operations

Alternate Title(s) of Bill HR 5237

Reduced Costs and Continued Cures Act of 2021

To amend titles XI, XVIII, and XIX of the Social Security Act to lower prescription drug prices in the Medicare and Medicaid programs, to improve transparency related to pharmaceutical prices and transactions, to lower patients' out-of-pocket costs, and to ensure accountability to taxpayers, and for other purposes.