PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Jun 10, 2003
Safety Net Hospital Pharmacy Access Act of 2003 - States that the Constitutional authority upon which this Act rests is the power of the Congress to regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the several States.
Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to include inpatient prices charged to disproportionate share (DSH) hospitals in the best price exemptions for the Medicaid drug rebate program. (Thus allows certain high-volume DSH safety net providers to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies and receive the lowest price they can get for inpatient drugs. Currently such entities are only able to receive discounts on the prices of outpatient drugs because of a Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services interpretation of the best price exemption under the Medicaid drug rebate program).
Subjects such drugs purchased by high-volume DSH hospital safety net providers for inpatient use to specified auditing and recordkeeping requirements.
People & committees
Rep. Shadegg, John B. [R-AZ-3] · R–AZ
Legislative record
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Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Aug 18, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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