S.Amdt. 5729

SA 5729. Mr. WELCH submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to
amendment SA 5453 proposed by Mr. Graham to the bill S. 2, to provide
for reconciliation pursuant to title II of S. Con. Res. 33; which was
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

Strike section 202 and insert the following:

SEC. 202. ENSURING MEDICARE CAN NEGOTIATE DRUG PRICES FOR
RARE DISEASE DRUGS AND GUARANTEEING FUNDING FOR
THE RURAL HEALTH TRANSFORMATION PROGRAM.

It is the sense of the Senate that--
(1) to reduce the likelihood that patients with a rare
disease will be unable to afford their medicine, section
71203 of Public Law 119-21 and other health care funding
reductions mandated under that Act should be repealed to
ensure Medicare can negotiate drug prices for rare disease
drugs when Medicare spending exceeds $400,000,000 annually on
such drugs, regardless of the drugs' orphan status; and
(2) funding for the Rural Health Transformation Program
established under section 2105(h) of the Social Security Act
(42 U.S.C. 1397ee(h)) should be guaranteed, including--
(A) by ensuring that funds allotted to States under such
program remain available until expended; and
(B) by eliminating any redistribution of unexpended or
unobligated funds from such allotments.
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