Prescription Drug and Medicare Improvement Act of 2003

Prescription Drug and Medicare Improvement Act of 2003 - Title I: Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit - Subtitle A: Medicare Voluntary Prescription Drug Delivery Program - (Sec. 101) Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to add a new part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Delivery Program). Establishes a new optional Medicare prescription drug benefit program augmenting with a comprehensive, flexible, and permanent voluntary prescription drug benefit program the limited coverage of certain outpatient prescription drugs, biologicals, and vaccines currently covered under the Medicare program under its original fee-for-service component under both Medicare parts A (Hospital Insurance) and B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) and under its managed care, medical savings account (MSA), and private fee-for-service component under Medicare part C (Medicare+Choice).

Provides under this new prescription drug benefit program for offering eligible Medicare beneficiaries, regardless of income or health status, access to more coverage options, options which provide enhanced benefits, with cost-sharing, and additional beneficiary protections and assistance, such as access to negotiated prices, catastrophic coverage limits, and premium subsidies for certain low-income beneficiaries.

Provides for these options to be offered through both: (1) a new Medicare part C MedicareAdvantage (MA) program that integrates basic medical coverage with added prescription drug coverage, including, for the first time, coverage through preferred provider organizations (PPOs) and restricted use of MSAs pursuant to an MA plan serving the geographic area in which the eligible Medicare beneficiary resides; and (2) a new separate, stand-alone Medicare Prescription Drug plan (PDP) program under Medicare part D that relies on private plans to provide coverage and to bear a portion of the financial risk for drug costs.

Makes this new program effective January 1, 2006, and vests overall administrative responsibility for carrying it out in the Administrator of the Center for Medicare Choices established under title III (Centers for Medicare Choices) of this Act.

Provides that until this new permanent prescription drug benefit program is effective, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) shall under subtitle B below provide eligible beneficiaries with the opportunity to enroll in an endorsed prescription drug discount card program and eligible low-income beneficiaries with the opportunity to enroll in a prescription drug assistance card program offered by a prescription drug card sponsor and receive discounts on prescription drugs and other assistance not later than January 1, 2004. Continues prescription drug discounts and other assistance under such temporary programs until the first enrollment period under the new permanent prescription drug program ends.

The summary continues for 209 more paragraphs. Read it in full on Congress.gov

Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Reported to Senate with amendment(s)" stage on June 13, 2003. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.

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