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H.R. 2077 · 115th Congress

Restoring the Patient's Voice Act of 2017

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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 115th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.

BWR WenstrupSponsor
88 cosponsors · 51 D, 37 R
RRD Ruiz BCR Comstock SSR Stivers PDD DeFazio HJD Johnson DBR Bacon JRD Rosen GHR Harper JKR Katko RWR Wittman TLD Lieu SMD Moulton JBD Beatty ZLD Lofgren CSR Smith SDR DesJarlais SMD Maloney PRR Roe PVD Visclosky LBR Bucshon SCR Chabot PKR King NDR Dunn MCR Coffman RMR Marshall AED Eshoo RKD Kelly LSD Slaughter JCR Culberson GND Napolitano BFD Foster DLR LaHood ABD Bera BSD Schneider ESR Stefanik JBD Brownley JCD Courtney PRR Roskam END Norton DPD Payne TRD Ryan BTD Thompson JFR Faso TOD O’Halleran RDD DeLauro DMD Matsui SPR Palazzo JDR Duncan JRD Raskin SCD Cohen LDD Doggett DJR Joyce JMD McGovern MPD Pocan TGR Garrett MTR Turner CPD Pingree DED Evans IRR Ros-Lehtinen BWD Watson Coleman KYR Yoder EBD Blumenauer MDD Doyle EED Esty FSR Sensenbrenner JHR Herrera Beutler EPR Paulsen RKD Krishnamoorthi KRD Rice ECD Cleaver AKR Kinzinger SLD Lynch EED Engel BFR Fitzpatrick JRR Renacci RGD Grijalva JYD Yarmuth PAD Aguilar SCD Carbajal DDR Donovan CHD Hanabusa MLD Lujan Grisham BPR Posey ASD Schiff SWR Womack RKD Khanna DPD Price DYR Young

1 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.

This bill amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to require a group health plan to establish an exception to medication step-therapy protocol in specified cases. A medication step-therapy protocol establishes a specific sequence in which prescription drugs are covered by a group health plan or a health insurance issuer.

What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in House · Apr 6, 2017

Restoring the Patient's Voice Act of 2017

This bill amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to require a group health plan to establish an exception to medication step-therapy protocol in specified cases. A medication step-therapy protocol establishes a specific sequence in which prescription drugs are covered by a group health plan or a health insurance issuer.

To warrant an exception to the protocol, at least one of the following circumstances must be met: (1) the treatment is contraindicated, (2) the treatment is expected to be ineffective, (3) the treatment will cause or is likely to cause an adverse reaction to the individual, (4) the treatment is expected to decrease the individual's ability either to perform daily activities or occupational responsibilities or adhere to the treatment plan, or (5) the individual is stable based on the prescription drugs already selected.

The bill requires a group health plan to implement a clear process for an individual to request an exception to the protocol. The process shall be readily available on the website of the group health plan and must list the requirements for a request and any necessary forms and contact information.

Requests shall be granted no later than three days after receipt of the request. In certain cases where the life, health, and ability of the individual are jeopardized by the protocol, the request shall be granted no later than 24 hours after receipt of the request.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov

About this bill and sources

Official title: Restoring the Patient's Voice Act of 2017

Latest action (Apr 6, 2017): Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Policy area: Health · Origin: House · Introduced: Apr 6, 2017

Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)

No recorded floor vote found.