[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 604 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 604

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to authorize expansion 
      of medicare coverage of medical nutrition therapy services.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 11, 2005

   Mr. Craig (for himself, Mr. Bingaman, Ms. Collins, Mr. Burr, Mr. 
 Durbin, and Ms. Snowe) 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 authorize expansion 
      of medicare coverage of medical nutrition therapy services.

    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 Medical Nutrition Therapy 
Act of 2005''.

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

    (a) Authorizing Expanded Eligible Population.--Section 
1861(s)(2)(V) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(s)(2)(V)) is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating clauses (i) through (iii) as 
        subclauses (I) through (III), respectively, and indenting each 
        such clause an additional 2 ems;
            (2) by striking ``in the case of a beneficiary with 
        diabetes or a renal disease who--'' and inserting the 
        following:
                ``in the case of a beneficiary--
                            ``(i) with diabetes or a renal disease 
                        who--'';
            (3) by adding ``or'' at the end of subclause (III) of 
        clause (i), as so designated; and
            (4) by adding at the end the following new clause:
                            ``(ii) who is not described in clause (i) 
                        but who has another disease, condition, or 
                        disorder for which the Secretary has made a 
                        national coverage determination (under section 
                        1869(f)(1)(B)) for the coverage of such 
                        services;''.
    (b) Coverage of Services Furnished by Physicians.--Section 
1861(vv)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(vv)(1)) is amended by 
inserting ``, physician,'' after ``a registered dietician''.
    (c) National Coverage Determination Process.--In making a national 
coverage determination described in section 1861(s)(2)(V)(ii) of the 
Social Security Act, as added by subsection (a)(4), the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services, through the Director of the Centers for 
Medicare and Medicaid Services, shall--
            (1) consult with dietetic and nutrition professional 
        organizations in determining appropriate protocols for coverage 
        of medical nutrition therapy services for individuals with 
        different diseases, conditions, and disorders; and
            (2) consider the degree to which medical nutrition therapy 
        interventions prevent or help prevent the onset or progression 
        of more serious diseases, conditions, or disorders.
    (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to services furnished on or after January 1, 2006.
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