[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 78 (Thursday, June 7, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1053]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 THE INTRODUCTION OF THE MEDICARE MEDICAL NUTRITION THERAPY AMENDMENT 
                              ACT OF 2001

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                            HON. FRED UPTON

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, June 7, 2001

  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join with Representative Anna 
Eschoo and 55 other colleagues on both sides of the aisle today in 
introducing the Medicare Medical Nutrition Therapy Amendment Act of 
2001. In the last Congress, we amended the Medicare program to provide 
coverage for medical nutrition therapy services provided by registered 
dietitians and nutrition professionals for persons with diabetes or 
renal disease. The legislation we are introducing today will add 
Medicare coverage for services for beneficiaries with cardiovascular 
disease.
  Medical nutrition therapy provided by registered dietitians and 
nutrition professionals is sound health care policy. It can save 
millions of dollars for a health care system beleaguered by escalating 
costs, and it can prevent unnecessary pain and suffering for millions 
of people and their families. In response to a request in the 1997 
Balanced Budget Act, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy 
of Sciences studied the value of adding medical nutrition therapy 
services for Medicare beneficiaries and the Medicare program and issued 
a report recommending that this benefit be added to the program. The 
report stated that coverage for medical nutrition therapy will 
``improve the quality of care and is likely to be a valuable and 
efficient use of Medicare resources, because of the comparatively low 
treatment costs and ancillary benefits associated with nutrition 
therapy.'' The report concluded that nutrition therapy has proven 
effective in the ``management and treatment of many chronic diseases 
that affect Medicare beneficiaries, including . . . hypertension, heart 
failure, diabetes, and chronic renal insufficiency.''
  I urge my colleagues who have not yet cosponsored this bipartisan, 
sound health policy proposal to join us in this effort.

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