Govwatch

Introduced

In Committee

3

Passed One Chamber

4

Passed Both

5

Signed into Law

Sponsor

Diana Harshbarger

Republican · TN · Representative

Votes with party: 92.5% (599 recorded votes)

Full profile: /officials/H001086

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

Cosponsors (26)

Members who have signed on to support this bill since introduction. Source: Congress.gov.

Latest Action

The most recent step in the bill's legislative path. Committee Activity below shows referrals and reports; the full action-by-action history including floor proceedings lives at Congress.gov →

Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 38 - 7.

2025-04-29

Source: Congress.gov

Committee Activity

Currently in

House Committee on Energy and CommerceMarkup By · 2025-04-29
House Committee on Ways and MeansReferred To · 2025-03-31

Previously

Energy and Commerce CommitteeMarkup By · 2025-04-29
Ways and Means CommitteeReferred To · 2025-03-31
House Committee on Energy and CommerceReferred To · 2025-03-31
Energy and Commerce CommitteeReferred To · 2025-03-31

Plain-English Summary

Seniors’ Access to Critical Medications Act of 2025 This bill temporarily expands flexibilities under the Stark law (i.e., the Physician Self-Referral Law) for certain physicians who dispense covered outpatient drugs under the Medicare prescription drug benefit at the physician's office location (e.g., through an integrated pharmacy). The Stark law generally prohibits physicians from referring patients to receive services that are payable under Medicare or Medicaid from entities in which the physician or an immediate family member has a financial relationship. Specifically, the bill allows, from 2026-2030, physicians to dispense such drugs from the physician's office, including through in-person pickup by a caregiver or via mail, if (1) the physician prescribed the drug, (2) the beneficiary has an ongoing relationship with the physician, (3) the beneficiary had at least one face-to-face visit with the physician in the prior year, and (4) the physician bills for the drug. These requirements also apply to physicians within the same group practice. The Government Accountability Office must report on pharmacies or pharmacy networks that dispense significantly more covered drugs under the Medicare prescription drug benefit after the bill's enactment, the extent to which such pharmacies and networks are owned by physicians or integrated into physician practices, and the common characteristics of these types of arrangements.

Plain-English rewrite of the Congressional Research Service summary published on Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed.

Subjects

Health

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Open text view Read on Congress.gov

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