HR1227119th CongressWALLET

Alternatives to PAIN Act

Sponsored By: Representative Miller-Meeks

Introduced

Summary

Lowering cost and access barriers for qualifying non-opioid pain management drugs under Medicare Part D. This bill would make certain non-opioid pain drugs cheaper and easier to get for Medicare enrollees.

Show full summary
  • Medicare Part D enrollees would pay less out of pocket because qualifying non-opioid pain drugs would not be subject to the Part D deductible and must be placed on the lowest cost-sharing tier when calculating maximum co-insurance or other cost-sharing. These changes apply for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2026.
  • Low-income Medicare enrollees who receive Part D subsidies would get the same deductible waiver and lowest-tier placement for qualifying drugs when calculating their maximum cost-sharing, for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2026.
  • Prescription drug plans and Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans would be barred from imposing step therapy or prior authorization for qualifying non-opioid pain drugs, reducing administrative hurdles for patients and providers beginning in 2026.
  • A qualifying non-opioid pain drug must have an FDA-approved indication for acute or postoperative pain, not act on opioid receptors, lack a therapeutically equivalent U.S. product, and have a monthly wholesale acquisition cost below a specialty-tier cost threshold that the Secretary may set and update.

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Lower Medicare costs for non-opioid pain drugs

Starting with plan years on or after January 1, 2026, this would cut what you pay for certain non-opioid pain drugs under Medicare Part D. Plans would have to waive the Part D deductible for these drugs. Plans would also have to put them on the lowest cost-sharing tier when setting your copay or coinsurance. The same waiver and lowest-tier rule would apply when figuring costs for low-income subsidy enrollees. These changes would apply to stand‑alone Part D and Medicare Advantage plans that include Part D. The savings would apply only if the drug meets the bill’s definition of a qualifying non‑opioid pain drug.

Medicare: No prior authorization or step therapy

For plan years starting on or after January 1, 2026, Medicare drug plans would not be allowed to require prior authorization for qualifying non‑opioid pain drugs. Plans also could not make you try another drug, including an opioid, before covering the qualifying non‑opioid drug. This would apply to all Part D plans and Medicare Advantage plans with Part D.

Which pain drugs qualify under Medicare

The bill would set which drugs count as qualifying non‑opioid pain drugs. A drug would need an FDA‑approved use for post‑surgery or other acute pain and must not act on opioid receptors. It would need no therapeutically equivalent product sold in the U.S. Its monthly list price (wholesale acquisition cost) would have to be at or below Medicare’s specialty‑tier price threshold set by the Secretary. These rules would apply for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2026.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Miller-Meeks

IA • R

Cosponsors

  • Barragan

    CA • D

    Sponsored 2/12/2025

  • Kelly (PA)

    PA • R

    Sponsored 2/12/2025

  • Panetta

    CA • D

    Sponsored 2/12/2025

  • Miller (WV)

    WV • R

    Sponsored 2/24/2025

  • Larson (CT)

    CT • D

    Sponsored 2/24/2025

  • Malliotakis

    NY • R

    Sponsored 2/24/2025

  • Moulton

    MA • D

    Sponsored 2/24/2025

  • Balderson

    OH • R

    Sponsored 3/18/2025

  • Guest

    MS • R

    Sponsored 3/18/2025

  • Clarke (NY)

    NY • D

    Sponsored 3/18/2025

  • Budzinski

    IL • D

    Sponsored 3/18/2025

  • Lieu

    CA • D

    Sponsored 3/24/2025

  • Fleischmann

    TN • R

    Sponsored 3/24/2025

  • Tenney

    NY • R

    Sponsored 3/31/2025

  • Peters

    CA • D

    Sponsored 3/31/2025

  • Griffith

    VA • R

    Sponsored 4/7/2025

  • Auchincloss

    MA • D

    Sponsored 4/7/2025

  • Thompson (PA)

    PA • R

    Sponsored 4/28/2025

  • Cohen

    TN • D

    Sponsored 4/28/2025

  • Mann

    KS • R

    Sponsored 6/3/2025

  • Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]

    DC • D

    Sponsored 6/3/2025

  • Womack

    AR • R

    Sponsored 6/3/2025

  • Salinas

    OR • D

    Sponsored 6/3/2025

  • Kiggans (VA)

    VA • R

    Sponsored 6/23/2025

  • Brownley

    CA • D

    Sponsored 6/23/2025

  • Dunn (FL)

    FL • R

    Sponsored 6/25/2025

  • Pocan

    WI • D

    Sponsored 6/25/2025

  • Scott, Austin

    GA • R

    Sponsored 6/26/2025

  • Tokuda

    HI • D

    Sponsored 6/26/2025

  • Moore (WI)

    WI • D

    Sponsored 6/26/2025

  • Aderholt

    AL • R

    Sponsored 6/26/2025

  • Bilirakis

    FL • R

    Sponsored 7/2/2025

  • Subramanyam

    VA • D

    Sponsored 7/2/2025

  • Costa

    CA • D

    Sponsored 7/10/2025

  • Carter (GA)

    GA • R

    Sponsored 8/1/2025

  • Khanna

    CA • D

    Sponsored 8/19/2025

  • McGovern

    MA • D

    Sponsored 8/19/2025

  • Kelly (IL)

    IL • D

    Sponsored 8/19/2025

  • Mast

    FL • R

    Sponsored 9/4/2025

  • Craig

    MN • D

    Sponsored 9/8/2025

  • Vindman

    VA • D

    Sponsored 9/11/2025

  • Vasquez

    NM • D

    Sponsored 9/30/2025

  • Bresnahan

    PA • R

    Sponsored 9/30/2025

  • McGarvey

    KY • D

    Sponsored 10/8/2025

  • Fitzpatrick

    PA • R

    Sponsored 10/10/2025

  • Davis (NC)

    NC • D

    Sponsored 10/31/2025

  • Pfluger

    TX • R

    Sponsored 11/20/2025

  • Garcia (CA)

    CA • D

    Sponsored 11/20/2025

  • Steube

    FL • R

    Sponsored 12/1/2025

  • Weber (TX)

    TX • R

    Sponsored 12/2/2025

  • Rutherford

    FL • R

    Sponsored 12/2/2025

  • Bean (FL)

    FL • R

    Sponsored 12/2/2025

  • Hudson

    NC • R

    Sponsored 12/3/2025

  • Joyce (PA)

    PA • R

    Sponsored 12/3/2025

  • Burchett

    TN • R

    Sponsored 12/3/2025

  • Ezell

    MS • R

    Sponsored 12/3/2025

  • Cammack

    FL • R

    Sponsored 12/4/2025

  • Randall

    WA • D

    Sponsored 12/5/2025

  • Sewell

    AL • D

    Sponsored 12/9/2025

  • Pappas

    NH • D

    Sponsored 12/9/2025

  • Bentz

    OR • R

    Sponsored 12/9/2025

  • Cherfilus-McCormick

    FL • D

    Sponsored 12/9/2025

  • Mackenzie

    PA • R

    Sponsored 12/9/2025

  • Nehls

    TX • R

    Sponsored 12/9/2025

  • Garcia (TX)

    TX • D

    Sponsored 12/9/2025

  • Pettersen

    CO • D

    Sponsored 12/9/2025

  • Dean (PA)

    PA • D

    Sponsored 12/9/2025

  • Harrigan

    NC • R

    Sponsored 12/10/2025

  • Cleaver

    MO • D

    Sponsored 12/18/2025

  • Amo

    RI • D

    Sponsored 12/18/2025

  • Schmidt

    KS • R

    Sponsored 12/19/2025

  • McBath

    GA • D

    Sponsored 12/19/2025

  • Barrett

    MI • R

    Sponsored 12/19/2025

  • McGuire

    VA • R

    Sponsored 1/7/2026

  • Lawler

    NY • R

    Sponsored 1/13/2026

  • Thanedar

    MI • D

    Sponsored 1/23/2026

  • Lofgren

    CA • D

    Sponsored 2/9/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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