1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Territories Medicare Prescription Drug Assistance Equity Act of 2019”.
Territories Medicare Prescription Drug Assistance Equity Act of 2019
A BILL
To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to make premium and cost-sharing subsidies available to low-income Medicare part D beneficiaries who reside in Puerto Rico or another territory of the United States.
2. Eliminating exclusion of part D eligible individuals residing in territories from eligibility for premium and cost-sharing subsidies
In general— Section 1860D–14(a)(3) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w–114(a)(3)) is amended—
in subparagraph (A), in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking “subject to subparagraph (F),”;
in subparagraph (B)(v), in the matter preceding subclause (I), by striking “Subject to subparagraph (F), the Secretary” and inserting “The Secretary”;
in subparagraph (C), by adding at the end the following new sentence: “In the case of an individual who is not a resident of the 50 States or the District of Columbia, the poverty line (as such term is defined in clause (ii)) that shall apply to such individual shall be the poverty line for the 48 contiguous States and the District of Columbia.”; and
by striking subparagraph (F).
Application of Medicaid provisions— Section 1935 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396u–5) is amended—
in subsection (a), by striking “subject to subsection (e)” in the matter preceding paragraph (1); and
by striking subsection (e).
Conforming amendment— Section 1108(f) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1308(f)) is amended by striking “and section 1935(e)(1)(B)” in the matter preceding clause (i).
Effective date— The amendments made by this section shall take effect on January 1, 2020.