H.R. 3: Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act
This bill, known as H.R. 3, focuses on several key areas aimed at reducing healthcare costs and improving access to care for Medicare beneficiaries. The main provisions include:
- Lower Medication Prices: Aims to reduce the cost of prescription drugs, making them more affordable for patients.
- Decreased Maximum Out-of-Pocket Costs: Establishes a cap on the maximum out-of-pocket expenses for Medicare beneficiaries, helping to alleviate the financial burden on seniors.
- Drug Price Transparency: Requires greater transparency in drug pricing, allowing consumers and healthcare providers to make more informed decisions.
- Expanded Eligibility: Increases the eligibility for medications and coverage, ensuring more Medicare beneficiaries can access necessary treatments.
- Additional Coverage: Includes hearing, dental, and vision programs as part of Medicare coverage, broadening the scope of services available to beneficiaries.
- Multilingual Health Information: Mandates that health information be provided in multiple languages, ensuring that non-English speaking patients can fully understand their treatment options (H.R. 3, 2019).