[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1542 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1542

    To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for 
   screening retinal eye examinations under the Medicare Program for 
                  individuals diagnosed with diabetes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 22, 1999

  Mr. Stark 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 
                 jurisdicton of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for 
   screening retinal eye examinations under the Medicare Program for 
                  individuals diagnosed with diabetes.

    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 Diabetic Eye Exam Benefit 
Act of 1999''.

SEC. 2. SCREENING RETINAL EYE EXAMINATIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH 
              DIABETES.

    (a) Coverage of Screening Retinal Eye Examinations.--Section 
1861(s)(2)(S) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(s)(2)(S)) is 
amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(i)'' after ``(S)'', and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new clause:
            ``(ii) screening retinal eye examinations furnished to 
        individuals diagnosed with diabetes, but only if the physician 
        who is managing the individual's diabetic condition certifies 
        that such examinations are needed under a comprehensive plan of 
        care related to the individual's diabetic condition; and''.
    (b) Waiver of Deductible.--The first sentence of section 1833(b) 
(42 U.S.C. 1395l(b)), as amended by section 4101(b), is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' before ``(6)'', and
            (2) by inserting before the period at the end the 
        following: ``, and (7) such deductible shall not apply with 
        respect to screening retinal eye examinations (as described in 
        clause (ii) of section 1861(s)(2)(S))''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to screening retinal eye examinations performed on or after 
February 1, 2000.
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