[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1761 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1761

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage 
  of cholesterol and blood lipid screening under the medicare program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            December 4, 2001

Mr. Dorgan (for himself, Mr. Campbell, and Mr. Bingaman) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                                Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage 
  of cholesterol and blood lipid screening under 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 Cholesterol Screening 
Coverage Act of 2001''.

SEC. 2. MEDICARE COVERAGE OF CHOLESTEROL AND BLOOD LIPID SCREENING.

    (a) In General.--Section 1861 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395x) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (s)(2)--
                    (A) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph 
                (U);
                    (B) by adding ``and'' at the end of subparagraph 
                (V); and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                subparagraph:
            ``(W) cholesterol and other blood lipid screening tests (as 
        defined in subsection (ww)(1));''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:

           ``Cholesterol and Other Blood Lipid Screening Test

    ``(ww)(1) The term `cholesterol and other blood lipid screening 
test' means diagnostic testing of cholesterol and other lipid levels of 
the blood for the purpose of early detection of abnormal cholesterol 
and other lipid levels.
    ``(2) The Secretary shall establish standards, in consultation with 
appropriate organizations, regarding the frequency and type of 
cholesterol and other blood lipid screening tests for individuals who 
do not otherwise qualify for coverage for cholesterol and other blood 
lipid testing based on established clinical diagnoses.''.
    (b) Frequency.--Section 1862(a)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395y(a)(1)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (H);
            (2) by striking the semicolon at the end of subparagraph 
        (I) and inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
            ``(J) in the case of a cholesterol and other blood lipid 
        screening test (as defined in section 1861(ww)(1)), which is 
        performed more frequently than is covered under section 
        1861(ww)(2).''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to tests furnished on or after January 1, 2003.
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