[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 8086]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      THE MEDICARE DENTAL, VISION, AND HEARING BENEFIT ACT OF 2016

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. JIM McDERMOTT

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 7, 2016

  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, today I am proud to introduce the 
Medicare Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act of 2016. This 
legislation expands the Medicare benefit package to include 
comprehensive coverage of dental, vision, and hearing care.
  The Medicare program commemorated its 50th anniversary last year, and 
there are many reasons to celebrate this important milestone. Thanks to 
Medicare, 55 million seniors, patients with End-Stage Renal Disease, 
and people with disabilities enjoy the peace of mind and security that 
comes with health coverage.
  But there is still a tremendous amount of work that must be done to 
ensure that the coverage that Medicare provides truly meets the needs 
of all of its beneficiaries.
  Unfortunately, many gaps continue to exist in Medicare's covered 
benefits. These gaps force beneficiaries to shoulder burdensome out-of-
pocket costs and, in many cases, to do without the care they need.
  One of the largest holes in the Medicare benefit package is the lack 
of coverage for dental, vision, and hearing care. In fact, not only 
does Medicare not pay for these crucial health services, but current 
law specifically excludes them from coverage.
  This is a shortsighted and harmful policy that has serious 
ramifications for beneficiaries.
  Lack of dental care is linked strongly with numerous health problems, 
including potentially fatal and costly conditions such as 
cardiovascular disease and oral cancers.
  Similarly, untreated vision disorders--which are among the most 
common and costly conditions facing the elderly--substantially increase 
the risk of expensive hospitalizations due to injuries associated with 
falls.
  And hearing loss, which is pervasive among beneficiaries, often leads 
to social isolation, depression, and cognitive impairments. Yet the 
majority of elderly Americans who need hearing aids do not have them--
in large part due to costs.
  It's time for Congress to recognize that Medicare must be expanded to 
address the full spectrum of beneficiaries' health needs. The Medicare 
Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act does just that.
  The bill repeals the outdated statutory exclusions that prevent 
Medicare from providing coverage of dental, vision, and hearing 
services and related supplies.
  It amends Part B to provide coverage of necessary health services, 
including routine dental cleanings, fillings and crowns, root canals, 
refractive eye exams, and exams for hearing aids.
  It provides coverage of items such as dentures, eyeglasses, contact 
lenses, low vision devices, and hearing aids as durable medical 
equipment, prosthetics, and orthotic supplies.
  And to control costs and facilitate implementation of these major 
reforms, benefits will be subject to reasonable limitations and will be 
phased in gradually in the years following enactment.
  All too often, policy discussions about Medicare focus on how much of 
the program to cut and how to further shift costs onto beneficiaries. 
This is the wrong approach. It's time for Congress to recognize that 
Medicare must be strengthened, not cut, and that benefits must be 
expanded, not scaled back.
  The Medicare Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act will make 
Medicare a stronger, fairer, and more comprehensive program for the 55 
million beneficiaries it serves.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in working to enact this and other 
important expansions of Medicare now and in the future.

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