[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 42 (Tuesday, April 12, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E626]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   INTRODUCTION OF THE MEDICARE MEDICAL NUTRITION THERAPY ACT OF 2005

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                            HON. FRED UPTON

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 12, 2005

  Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join with Representatives 
Anna Eshoo, Lee Terry, David Wu, Xavier Becerra, and Jo Bonner in 
introducing the bipartisan Medicare Medical Nutrition Therapy Act of 
2005. Under current law, Medicare provides coverage for medical 
nutrition therapy services provided by registered dietitians and 
nutrition professionals to Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes and 
renal diseases. Recognizing that many other beneficiaries with diseases 
and conditions such as cardiovascular disease and obesity could benefit 
from medical nutrition therapy services, the legislation we are 
introducing today gives the Secretary of Health and Human Services, 
acting through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the 
authority to use the National Coverage Determination Process to expand 
coverage for other disease and conditions for which these services 
would be both beneficial and cost-effective.
  Providing Medicare coverage for medical nutrition therapy services is 
sound health care policy. It can prevent unnecessary pain and suffering 
and save millions of dollars in health care costs by lessening the risk 
of chronic disease, slowing disease progression, and reducing symptoms. 
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 coverage to the Medicare program and 
concluded that this coverage would ``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.''
  I urge my colleagues who have not yet cosponsored this legislation to 
join us in this effort.

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