S. 1895: Lower Health Care Costs Act
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S. 1895: Lower Health Care Costs Act
116th Congress · introduced 2019-06-19 · Health · Latest: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 133.
federal
Follow this bill, step by step
- Where it came from: introduced 2019-06-19 · official record
- Who proposed it: Sen. Alexander, Lamar [R-TN] · what a sponsor is
- What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
- Where it stands now: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 133. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
- If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.
Official title
Lower Health Care Costs Act
Plain summary
Lower Health Care Costs Act This bill makes a series of changes relating to health care coverage, costs, and services. Among other things, the bill applies in-network cost-sharing requirements to certain emergency and related nonemergency services that are provided out-of-network, and prohibits health care facilities and practitioners from billing above the applicable in-network cost-sharing rate for such services; revises certain requirements in order to expedite the approval of generics and biosimilars, including requirements relating to citizen petitions, application effective dates, and labeling; requires health care facilities and practitioners to give patients a list of provided services upon discharge and to bill for such services within 45 days; limits prices that pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) may charge health insurers or enrollees for prescription drugs, based on prices paid by PBMs to pharmacies; establishes grant programs to support vaccinations and data modernization; and requires health insurers to make certain information, including estimated out-of-pocket costs, accessible to enrollees through specified technology (e.g., mobile applications). The bill also makes several additional changes relating to public health, including raising the minimum age to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21.
Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.
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If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.
A “Nay” vote
If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.
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What does this mean? (plain words)
Official text
Lower Health Care Costs Act
Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate)
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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes
Officials and money
Sponsor: Sen. Alexander, Lamar [R-TN] · 2 cosponsors
Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: S.1895, Lower Health Care Costs Act (2019-07-16); CBO cost estimate: S. 1895, Lower Health Care Costs Act (2019-07-16)
Cosponsors on this site
Patty Murray (D-WA), Joni Ernst (R-IA)
No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.
Words on this page, explained (1)
- Bill
- A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.
Sources
- Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate)
- Congress.gov
- Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-116s1895.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/s>
Record fed-us-cong116-s1895 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116