[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1002 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1002

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to standardize coverage 
    of bone mass measurements under part B of the Medicare Program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 10, 1997

Mrs. Morella (for herself, Mrs. Johnson of Connecticut, Mrs. Lowey, Ms. 
Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Mr. Greenwood, Ms. Molinari, Ms. Dunn, 
 Mrs. Kennelly of Connecticut, Mr. Cardin, Mrs. Kelly, Mrs. Maloney of 
New York, Ms. Slaughter, Mr. Stearns, Ms. Furse, Mrs. Meek of Florida, 
Ms. Roybal-Allard, Ms. Lofgren, Ms. Granger, Mr. McDermott, Mr. Kildee, 
    Mr. English of Pennsylvania, Mr. Frost, Mr. Yates, Mr. Neal of 
 Massachusetts, Mr. Boucher, Mr. Evans, Ms. Christian-Green, Mr. Davis 
  of Illinois, Ms. Rivers, Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas, Ms. Norton, Mr. 
 Frank of Massachusetts, Mr. Manton, and Mr. Faleomavaega) introduced 
 the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 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 BILL


 
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to standardize coverage 
    of bone mass measurements under part B of the Medicare Program.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Medicare Bone Mass Measurement 
Coverage Standardization Coverage Act of 1997''.

SEC. 2. STANDARDIZATION OF MEDICARE COVERAGE OF BONE MASS MEASUREMENTS.

    (a) In General.--Section 1861 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395x) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (s)--
                    (A) in paragraph (12)(C), by striking ``and'' at 
                the end,
                    (B) by striking the period at the end of paragraph 
                (14) and inserting ``; and'',
                    (C) by redesignating paragraphs (15) and (16) as 
                paragraphs (16) and (17), respectively, and
                    (D) by inserting after paragraph (14) the following 
                new paragraph:
            ``(15) bone mass measurement (as defined in subsection 
        (oo)).''; and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (nn) the following new 
        subsection:

                        ``Bone Mass Measurement

    ``(oo)(1) The term `bone mass measurement' means a radiologic or 
radioisotopic procedure or other procedure approved by the Food and 
Drug Administration performed on a qualified individual (as defined in 
paragraph (2)) for the purpose of identifying bone mass or detecting 
bone loss or determining bone quality, and includes a physician's 
interpretation of the results of the procedure.
    ``(2) For purposes of paragraph (1), the term `qualified 
individual' means an individual who is (in accordance with regulations 
prescribed by the Secretary)--
            ``(A) an estrogen-deficient woman at clinical risk for 
        osteoporosis;
            ``(B) an individual with vertebral abnormalities;
            ``(C) an individual receiving long-term glucocorticoid 
        steroid therapy;
            ``(D) an individual with primary hyperparathyroidism; or
            ``(E) an individual being monitored to assess the response 
        to or efficacy of an approved osteoporosis drug therapy.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--Sections 1864(a), 1902(a)(9)(C), and 
1915(a)(1)(B)(ii)(I) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395aa(a), 
1396a(a)(9)(C), and 1396n(a)(1)(B)(ii)(I)) are amended by striking 
``paragraphs (15) and (16)'' each place it appears and inserting 
``paragraphs (16) and (17)''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to bone mass measurements performed on or after January 1, 1998.
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