hold on there's just too much going on in Congress lmao...
Requires Medicare drug plans to include lower-cost generics and biosimilars; reduces patient costs.
Senators Lankford (R-OK) and Hassan (D-NH).
Introduced in Senate, no House vote yet.
This bill aims to make lower-cost generic and biosimilar drugs more accessible and affordable for Medicare Part D beneficiaries, starting in 2028. It requires plans to include all available cheaper generic versions and at least one cheaper biosimilar if they cover the brand-name drug. Plans would also need to create special cost-sharing tiers for these drugs, offering significantly lower copayments or coinsurance and fewer access restrictions. This bipartisan measure was introduced by Senators Lankford (R-OK) and Hassan (D-NH) and is currently under review by the Senate Finance Committee.
Introduced Apr 16, 2026
This bill was introduced in the Senate on April 16, 2026, and was referred to the Senate Committee on Finance for consideration. For it to become law, it must first be approved by this committee, then pass a vote in the full Senate. After that, it would need to pass the House of Representatives and finally be signed by the President.
Starting in 2028, if this bill passes, your Medicare Part D plan would be required to offer cheaper generic and biosimilar versions of drugs it covers, when available. This means plans couldn't make it harder for you to access these lower-cost alternatives through extra approvals or managed care steps. Additionally, your out-of-pocket costs for these drugs would decrease, with copayments on general generics/biosimilars being at least $20 less than comparable brand-name drugs. For expensive specialty drugs, their generic/biosimilar counterparts would have coinsurance at least 5 percentage points lower, making them more affordable.
Supporters Say
This bill aims to reduce out-of-pocket prescription drug costs and improve access to affordable generic and biosimilar medications for Medicare beneficiaries.
Critics Say
Some may argue these mandates could reduce flexibility for plans to manage their formularies or potentially impact drug pricing negotiations.
Further debate might center on whether the specified cost-sharing reductions are sufficient to significantly impact patient affordability, or if they could create unintended consequences for plan sustainability or innovation incentives. Arguments could also arise about the definition and implementation details for 'wholesale acquisition cost' and how it applies to various drug availability scenarios.