H.R. 5122 would prevent the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) from implementing a proposed demonstration to modify payment for prescription drugs covered under Part B of the Medicare program. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) will manage the demonstration, and, under current law, CMMI has broad authority and funding to test various projects.
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 5122 would increase direct spending by $395 million over the 2017-2026 period. That estimate includes the savings that would be lost if the proposed demonstration was blocked, offset in part by additional savings that would result from CMMI’s ability to mitigate that loss by replacing the blocked demonstration with other projects, some of which would reduce federal spending.
Pay-as-you-go procedures apply to the bill because enacting it would affect direct spending. The bill would not affect revenues.
CBO estimates that enacting the legislation would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits by more than $5 billion in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2027.
H.R. 5122 contains no private-sector or intergovernmental mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments.