Under limited circumstances, the federal government would produce a more affordable generic version of certain drugs. These are the scenarios when the feds could start manufacturing their own medications:

If no company is producing a generic version of the drug
If only one or two companies are producing a drug and there is either a price hike or a drug shortage
If only one or two companies are producing a drug, the price makes it difficult for some patients to afford, and the World Health Organization classifies it as an “essential medicine”

The bill allows the federal government to either produce the drugs itself or contract an outside company to do it. It would set “fair” prices to cover the costs of making the drugs. They also want the federal government to start producing insulin, which helps treat diabetes (which tens of millions of Americans have) and has seen its prices triple or so over the past decade.