---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 300gg–19b"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "300gg–19b"
heading: "Information on prescription drugs"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/300gg-19b"
units:
  - "Chapter 6A — Public Health Service"
  - "Subchapter XXV — Requirements Relating to Health Insurance Coverage"
  - "Part A — Individual and Group Market Reforms"
  - "Subpart II — Improving Coverage"
---

# §300gg–19b. Information on prescription drugs

- (a) **In general—** A [group health plan](/usc/42/300bb–8.md?p=1) or a [health insurance issuer](/usc/42/300gg–91.md?p=b-2) offering group or [individual health insurance coverage](/usc/42/300gg–91.md?p=b-5) shall—
  - (1) not restrict, directly or indirectly, any pharmacy that dispenses a prescription [drug](/usc/42/11851.md?p=4) to an enrollee in the plan or coverage from informing (or penalize such pharmacy for informing) an enrollee of any differential between the enrollee’s out-of-pocket cost under the plan or coverage with respect to acquisition of the [drug](/usc/42/11851.md?p=4) and the amount an individual would pay for acquisition of the [drug](/usc/42/11851.md?p=4) without using any health plan or [health insurance coverage](/usc/42/300gg–91.md?p=b-1); and
  - (2) ensure that any entity that provides pharmacy benefits management [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) under a contract with any such health plan or [health insurance coverage](/usc/42/300gg–91.md?p=b-1) does not, with respect to such plan or coverage, restrict, directly or indirectly, a pharmacy that dispenses a prescription [drug](/usc/42/11851.md?p=4) from informing (or penalize such pharmacy for informing) an enrollee of any differential between the enrollee’s out-of-pocket cost under the plan or coverage with respect to acquisition of the [drug](/usc/42/11851.md?p=4) and the amount an individual would pay for acquisition of the [drug](/usc/42/11851.md?p=4) without using any health plan or [health insurance coverage](/usc/42/300gg–91.md?p=b-1).
- (b) **Definition—** For purposes of this section, the term “out-of-pocket cost”, with respect to acquisition of a [drug](/usc/42/11851.md?p=4), means the amount to be paid by the enrollee under the plan or coverage, including any cost-sharing (including any deductible, copayment, or coinsurance) and, as determined by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c), any other expenditure.

## Source credit

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title XXVII, § 2729, as added Pub. L. 115–263, § 2, Oct. 10, 2018, 132 Stat. 3672.)