PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Feb 21, 2025
Preserving Life-saving Access to Specialty Medicines in America Act or the PLASMA Act
This bill phases-in certain price adjustments for plasma-derived products under the Medicare prescription drug benefit's Manufacturer Discount Program.
Current law requires manufacturers of covered drugs under the Medicare prescription drug benefit to provide a 10% discount for covered drugs during the initial coverage phase (i.e., before a beneficiary reaches the out-of-pocket spending threshold) and a 20% discount during the catastrophic coverage phase (i.e., after a beneficiary reaches the out-of-pocket spending threshold).
The bill phases-in discounts for plasma-derived products over several years, starting with a 1% discount in 2026 for both the initial and catastrophic coverage phases, and ending with a 10% discount beginning in 2030 for the initial coverage phase and a 20% discount beginning in 2032 for the catastrophic coverage phase.
People & committees
Rep. Hudson, Richard [R-NC-9] · R–NC
Legislative record
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Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
Source last updated: Dec 5, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-02-21 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposed PLASMA Act would create a special phase-in under the manufacturer drug-discount program for medicines made from human blood or plasma that were marketed as of August 16, 2022. Starting in 2026, it would set the share of the negotiated drug price defined as the program’s “discounted price” for qualifying medicines dispensed to eligible recipients. That percentage is not stated to be the patient’s payment.
For 2026 and subsequent years, subject to clause (iv), in the case of an applicable drug of a manufacturer that is a plasma-derived product (as defined in clause (ii)), and that is marketed as of August 16, 2022, and dispensed for an applicable beneficiary, the term discounted price means the specified plasma-derived product percent (as defined in clause (iii)) of the negotiated price of the applicable drug of the manufacturer.
the term plasma-derived product means an applicable drug that is a biological product that is derived from human whole blood or plasma.
Section 1 would name the bill the Preserving Life-saving Access to Specialty Medicines in America Act, or PLASMA Act.
This Act may be cited as the Preserving Life-saving Access to Specialty Medicines in America Act or the PLASMA Act.
The proposed phase-in would cover qualifying biological medicines derived from human whole blood or plasma, marketed as of August 16, 2022, and dispensed to an applicable beneficiary. It would begin in 2026, subject to the bill’s exclusions.
For 2026 and subsequent years, subject to clause (iv), in the case of an applicable drug of a manufacturer that is a plasma-derived product (as defined in clause (ii)), and that is marketed as of August 16, 2022, and dispensed for an applicable beneficiary
the term plasma-derived product means an applicable drug that is a biological product that is derived from human whole blood or plasma.
For eligible recipients below the program’s annual out-of-pocket threshold—the annual drug-cost level measured under the cited existing law—the proposed discounted price would be 99% of the negotiated price in 2026, 98% in 2027, 95% in 2028, 92% in 2029, and 90% in 2030 and every later year.
the term discounted price means the specified plasma-derived product percent (as defined in clause (iii)) of the negotiated price of the applicable drug of the manufacturer.
(I) for an applicable drug that is a plasma-derived product dispensed for an applicable beneficiary who has not incurred costs, as determined in accordance with section 1860D–2(b)(4)(C), for covered part D drugs in the year that are equal to or exceed the annual out-of-pocket threshold specified in section 1860D–2(b)(4)(B)(i) for the year— (aa) for 2026, 99 percent; (bb) for 2027, 98 percent; (cc) for 2028, 95 percent; (dd) for 2029, 92 percent; and (ee) for 2030 and each subsequent year, 90 percent;
For eligible recipients who reach or exceed that annual threshold, the proposed discounted price would be 99% of the negotiated price in 2026, 98% in 2027, 95% in 2028, 92% in 2029, 90% in 2030, 85% in 2031, and 80% in 2032 and every later year. Both schedules would continue at their final percentages without a stated end date.
the term discounted price means the specified plasma-derived product percent (as defined in clause (iii)) of the negotiated price of the applicable drug of the manufacturer.
(II) for an applicable drug that is a plasma-derived product dispensed for an applicable beneficiary who has incurred costs, as determined in accordance with section 1860D–2(b)(4)(C), for covered part D drugs in the year that are equal to or exceed the annual out-of-pocket threshold specified in section 1860D–2(b)(4)(B)(i) for the year— (aa) for 2026, 99 percent; (bb) for 2027, 98 percent; (cc) for 2028, 95 percent; (dd) for 2029, 92 percent; (ee) for 2030, 90 percent; (ff) for 2031, 85 percent; and (gg) for 2032 and each subsequent year, 80 percent.
(ee) for 2030 and each subsequent year, 90 percent;
The new phase-in would exclude drugs described in existing subparagraphs (B)(i) and (C)(i). The bill labels these exclusions as certain drugs dispensed to LIS beneficiaries and drugs involving specified small manufacturers. It does not reproduce the eligibility rules in those cross-references, so the precise scope of the exclusions cannot be determined from this text alone.
(iv) Limitations This subparagraph shall not apply with respect to the following: (I) Certain drugs dispensed to LIS beneficiaries An applicable drug described in subparagraph (B)(i). (II) Specified small manufacturers An applicable drug described in subparagraph (C)(i).
Section 2 would insert the new phase-in into the existing Social Security Act manufacturer discount program. It would also update a cross-reference and relabel two existing subparagraphs to accommodate the addition.
Phase-in for plasma-derived products under manufacturer discount program Section 1860D–14C(g)(4) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w–114c(g)(4)) is amended— (1) in subparagraph (A), in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking and (C) and inserting , (C), and (D); (2) by redesignating subparagraphs (D) and (E) as subparagraphs (E) and (F), respectively; and (3) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the following:
The supplied actions snapshot, updated December 5, 2025, records introduction in the House on February 21, 2025, and referral that day to the Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means committees. This snapshot does not establish any later advancement or enactment.
Source snapshot updated 2025-12-05T22:09:02Z.
2025-02-21: Introduced in House
2025-02-21: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-02-21. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy change attached to appropriations was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish the contents or attachment history of other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for a particular recipient or place was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version; accompanying earmark disclosures and reports were not supplied.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
Findings to examine
The text contains a narrowly defined, product-specific phase-in within the bill’s main policy. This classification identifies special treatment without establishing its financial value or judging its justification.
Manufacturers of qualifying biological medicines derived from human blood or plasma and marketed as of August 16, 2022, would receive a special discounted-price phase-in for those products starting in 2026. This is the bill’s central policy. It excludes drugs covered by the referenced provisions for certain LIS beneficiaries and specified small manufacturers; the supplied text does not establish the financial advantage relative to ordinary program rules.
For 2026 and subsequent years, subject to clause (iv), in the case of an applicable drug of a manufacturer that is a plasma-derived product (as defined in clause (ii)), and that is marketed as of August 16, 2022, and dispensed for an applicable beneficiary, the term discounted price means the specified plasma-derived product percent (as defined in clause (iii)) of the negotiated price of the applicable drug of the manufacturer.
the term plasma-derived product means an applicable drug that is a biological product that is derived from human whole blood or plasma.
(iv) Limitations This subparagraph shall not apply with respect to the following: (I) Certain drugs dispensed to LIS beneficiaries An applicable drug described in subparagraph (B)(i). (II) Specified small manufacturers An applicable drug described in subparagraph (C)(i).
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Dec 5, 2025. How PlainBill uses AI