[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2590 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2590

     To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to reduce the 
occurrence of diabetes in Medicare beneficiaries by extending coverage 
     under Medicare for medical nutrition therapy services to such 
  beneficiaries with pre-diabetes or with risk factors for developing 
                            type 2 diabetes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 21, 2009

   Ms. DeGette (for herself, Mr. Castle, Mr. Becerra, and Mr. Kirk) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
   Energy and 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 reduce the 
occurrence of diabetes in Medicare beneficiaries by extending coverage 
     under Medicare for medical nutrition therapy services to such 
  beneficiaries with pre-diabetes or with risk factors for developing 
                            type 2 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 ``Preventing Diabetes in Medicare Act 
of 2009''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) According to the American Diabetes Association, there 
        are 57,000,000 people with pre-diabetes in America.
            (2) For a significant number of people with pre-diabetes, 
        intervening early can reverse elevated blood glucose levels to 
        normal range and prevent diabetes and its complications 
        completely.
            (3) Diabetes-related hospitalizations totaled 24.3 million 
        days in 2007, an increase of 7.4 million from the 16.9 million 
        days in 2002.
            (4) Preventing diabetes and its complications can save 
        money and lives. The average annual cost to treat someone with 
        diabetes is $11,744.
            (5) Diabetes is unique because its complications and their 
        associated health care cost are preventable with currently 
        available medical treatment and lifestyle changes.
            (6) In 2002, the Diabetes Prevention Program study 
        conducted by the National Institutes of Health found that 
        participants (all of whom were at increased risk of developing 
        type 2 diabetes) who made lifestyle changes reduced their risk 
        of developing type 2 diabetes by 58 percent and that 
        participants aged 60 and older reduced their risk of developing 
        diabetes by 71 percent.
            (7) The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) 
        has demonstrated that $2,500,000,000 in hospitalization costs 
        related to the treatment of diabetes or complications resulting 
        from diabetes could be saved by providing seniors with 
        appropriate primary care to prevent the onset of diabetes.
            (8) The Medicare program currently screens and identifies 
        beneficiaries with pre-diabetes but does not provide adequate 
        services to such beneficiaries to prevent them from becoming 
        diabetic.

SEC. 3. MEDICARE COVERAGE OF MEDICAL NUTRITION THERAPY SERVICES FOR 
              PEOPLE WITH PRE-DIABETES AND RISK FACTORS FOR DEVELOPING 
              TYPE 2 DIABETES.

    (a) In General.--Subsection (s)(2)(V) of section 1861 of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x) is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``, pre-diabetes (as defined in subsection 
        (hhh)),'' after ``with diabetes''; and
            (2) by inserting ``, or an individual at risk for diabetes 
        (as defined in subsection (yy)(2)),'' after ``or a renal 
        disease''.
    (b) Definition of Pre-Diabetes.--Such section is further amended by 
adding at the end the following new subsection:

                             ``Pre-Diabetes

    ``(hhh) The term `pre-diabetes' means a condition of impaired 
fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance identified by a blood 
glucose level that is higher than normal, but not so high as to 
indicate actual diabetes.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply with respect to services furnished on or after January 1, 2010.
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