[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 288 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 288

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage 
   under part B of the Medicare program of medical nutrition therapy 
     services of registered dietitians and nutrition professionals.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 7, 1997

 Mr. Serrano 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 provide for coverage 
   under part B of the Medicare program of medical nutrition therapy 
     services of registered dietitians and nutrition professionals.

    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 ``Medical Nutrition Therapy Act of 
1997''.

SEC. 2. MEDICARE COVERAGE OF MEDICAL NUTRITION THERAPY SERVICES.

    (a) Coverage.--Section 1861(s)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395x(s)(2)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraphs (N) and 
        (O), and
            (2) by inserting after subparagraph (O) the following new 
        subparagraph:
            ``(P) medical nutrition therapy services (as defined in 
        subsection (oo));''.
    (b) Services Described.--Section 1861 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x) 
is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

                  ``Medical Nutrition Therapy Services

    ``(oo) The term `medical nutrition therapy services' means 
nutritional diagnostic, therapy, and counseling services which are 
furnished by or under the supervision of a registered dietitian or 
nutrition professional who is legally authorized to furnish such 
services under State law (or the State regulatory mechanism provided by 
State law) of the State in which the services are furnished, as would 
otherwise be covered if furnished by a physician or as an incident to a 
physician's professional service.''.
    (c) Payment.--Section 1833(a)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395l(a)(1)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' before ``(P)'', and
            (2) by inserting before the semicolon at the end the 
        following: ``, and (Q) with respect to medical nutrition 
        therapy services (as defined in section 1861(oo)), the amount 
        paid shall be 80 percent of the lesser of the actual charge for 
        the services or the amount determined by a fee schedule 
        established by the Secretary for the purposes of this clause''.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by section 2 shall apply to services furnished 
on or after January 1, 1998.
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