PLASMA Act

The PLASMA Act would modify how Medicare's prescription drug benefit handles price discounts for plasma-derived products, which are medications made from human blood plasma. Currently, drug manufacturers must provide 10% discounts during the initial coverage phase and 20% discounts during the catastrophic coverage phase for all covered drugs. This bill would phase in lower discounts specifically for plasma-derived products over several years, starting with just 1% discounts in 2026 and gradually increasing to the standard 10% and 20% discounts by 2030 and 2032 respectively.

If enacted, this bill could affect Medicare beneficiaries who use plasma-derived medications by potentially keeping their out-of-pocket costs higher during the transition period, since manufacturers would provide smaller discounts than they do for other drugs. The bill is currently in committee and has not yet been voted on by the full House of Representatives.