S. 551Senate116th Congress (2019-2021)In Committee

REFUND Act of 2019

Introduced February 25, 2019

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 14, 2026 at 2:05 AM UTC

The REFUND Act of 2019 changes Medicare Part B rules for single‑dose vial drugs. It makes drug manufacturers pay a rebate to Medicare for any units that are discarded after being supplied, and it limits the beneficiary’s coinsurance to only the portion of the drug actually administered. The law applies to all single‑dose vial drugs paid for under Part B starting January 1 2020.

Key Provisions

  • Manufacturers must submit a rebate within 30 days of receiving the Secretary’s notice of how many units were discarded in a calendar quarter.
  • The Secretary, using a claim modifier (e.g., JW), will track discarded amounts, calculate the “rebatable amount” (90 % of discarded units), and notify manufacturers of the total discarded units and rebate due.
  • Rebate amount = discarded units × the lower of the drug’s average sales price (or 340B price) or its wholesale acquisition cost.
  • Rebate payments are deposited into the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund.
  • Manufacturers are subject to periodic audits and, if they fail to pay, face a civil penalty equal to the rebate amount plus an additional 25 %.
  • When a claim is processed, Medicare will collect coinsurance from the beneficiary only on the administered portion of the drug (20 % of the payment for that portion), while the provider is still paid for the full vial.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action
SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text: CR S1439)

February 25, 2019

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

February 25, 2019

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text: CR S1439)

February 25, 2019

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about S. 551 on the floor

1 Democrat
Richard J. Durbin
Sen. Richard J. DurbinD-IL · Feb 25, 2019

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Richard J. Durbin
Sen. Richard J. DurbinD-IL · Feb 25, 2019

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

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Introduced in SenateIssued February 25, 2019

II

116th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 551

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

February 25, 2019

Mr. Durbin (for himself and Mr. Portman) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

A BILL

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require manufacturers of certain single-dose vial drugs payable under part B of the Medicare program to provide rebates with respect to amounts of such drugs discarded, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Recovering Excessive Funds for Unused and Needless Drugs Act of 2019 or the REFUND Act of 2019.

2.

Requiring manufacturers of certain single-dose vial drugs payable under part B of the Medicare program to provide rebates with respect to discarded amounts of such drugs

(a)

In general

Section 1834 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

(w)

Rebate for certain discarded single-Dose vial drugs

(1)

In general

The manufacturer (as defined in section 1847A(c)(6)(A)) of a rebatable single-dose vial drug furnished in a calendar quarter shall, not later than 30 days after the date of receipt of information described in paragraph (2)(A)(iii) with respect to such quarter, provide to the Secretary a rebate that is equal to the amount specified in paragraph (3) for such drug for such quarter.

(2)

Secretarial duties

(A)

In general

For each calendar quarter, the Secretary shall, with respect to a rebatable single-dose vial drug of a manufacturer furnished during such quarter—

(i)

require, through use of a modifier such as the JW modifier used as of the date of enactment of this subsection (or any such successor code that includes such data as determined appropriate by the Secretary), an indication on a claim for such drug of the amount of such drug that was discarded after such drug was furnished, if any;

(ii)

determine the rebatable amount (as defined in subparagraph (B)) with respect to such drug; and

(iii)

not later than 60 days after the end of such quarter, provide to such manufacturer notice of—

(I)

the total number of units of such drug discarded during such quarter (as determined by the Secretary based on the aggregate rebatable amount (as so defined) with respect to such drug for such quarter), if any; and

(II)

the rebate amount specified in paragraph (3) for such drug and such quarter.

(B)

Rebatable amount

The term rebatable amount means, with respect to a rebatable single-dose vial drug of a manufacturer furnished during a quarter, 90 percent of the amount (if any) of such drug that was discarded as indicated pursuant to subparagraph (A)(i).

(3)

Rebate amount

The amount of the rebate specified in this paragraph is, with respect to a rebatable single-dose vial drug of a manufacturer furnished in a calendar quarter, an amount equal to the product of—

(A)

the total number of units of such drug discarded during such quarter as determined under paragraph (2)(A)(iii)(I); and

(B)

the lesser of—

(i)

the average sales price (as defined in section 1847A(c)(1)) for a unit of such drug for such quarter (or, in the case of a drug subject to an agreement with such manufacturer under section 340B of the Public Health Service Act, the price for a unit of such drug for such quarter under such agreement); or

(ii)

the wholesale acquisition cost (as defined in section 1847A(c)(6)(B)) for a unit of such drug.

(4)

Rebate deposits

Amounts paid as rebates pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be deposited into the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund established under section 1841.

(5)

Enforcement

(A)

Audits

Each manufacturer of a rebatable single dose-vial drug that is required to provide a rebate under this subsection shall be subject to periodic audit with respect to such drug and such rebates by the Secretary.

(B)

Civil money penalty

(i)

In general

The Secretary shall impose a civil money penalty on a manufacturer of a rebatable single dose-vial drug who has failed to comply with the requirement under paragraph (1) for such drug for a calendar quarter in an amount the Secretary determines is commensurate with the sum of—

(I)

the amount that the manufacturer would have paid under such paragraph with respect to such drug for such quarter; and

(II)

25 percent of such amount.

(ii)

Application

The provisions of section 1128A (other than subsections (a) and (b)) shall apply to a civil money penalty under this subparagraph in the same manner as such provisions apply to a penalty or proceeding under section 1128A(a).

(6)

Definitions

In this subsection:

(A)

Rebatable single-dose vial drug

The term rebatable single-dose vial drug means a single source drug or biological (as defined in section 1847A(c)(6)(D)) paid for under this part and furnished on or after January 1, 2020, from a single-dose vial.

(B)

Unit

The term unit has the meaning given such term in section 1847A(b)(2)(B).

.

(b)

Collection of coinsurance only for portion of rebatable single-Dose vial drug administered

Section 1833(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l) is amended—

(1)

in subsection (a)(1)(S), by inserting subject to subsection (cc), before with respect to; and

(2)

by adding at the end the following new subsection:

(cc)

Collection of coinsurance only for portion of rebatable single-Dose vial drug administered

When processing a claim for a rebatable single-dose vial drug (as defined in section 1834(w)(6)), the Secretary, acting through the relevant Medicare administrative contractor with respect to such claim, shall only collect coinsurance from a beneficiary, taking into account any coverage under a Medicare supplemental policy certified under section 1882 or any other supplemental insurance coverage of the beneficiary, with respect to the portion of the drug administered (as indicated by the J-portion of the claim for the drug used as of the date of enactment of this subsection, or any successor code that includes such data as determined appropriate by the Secretary), in an amount equal to 20 percent of the amount of payment that would be made if payment for the claim was based only on the portion of the drug administered (as so indicated). Nothing in the preceding sentence shall affect the amount paid to the provider of services or supplier with respect to the drug under this part (as determined based on the total amount of the drug for which the claim was submitted, including the portion of the drug administered and the portion discarded, as indicated by the J-portion of the claim and the JW modifier, respectively, used as of such date of enactment or any successor codes that include such data as determined appropriate by the Secretary).

.