I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2619 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare 

coverage of pulmonary self-management education and training services 

furnished by a qualified respiratory therapist in a physician practice. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 8, 2013 

Mr. LEWIS 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 provide 

for Medicare coverage of pulmonary self-management 

education and training services furnished by a qualified 

respiratory therapist in a physician practice. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Medicare Respiratory 

5 Therapist Access Act of 2013’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. MEDICARE COVERAGE OF PULMONARY SELF-MAN2 AGEMENT EDUCATION AND TRAINING SERV3 ICES FURNISHED BY A QUALIFIED RES4 PIRATORY THERAPIST IN A PHYSICIAN PRAC5 TICE. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1861 of the Social Secu7 rity Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x) is amended— 

8 (1) in subsection (s)(2)— 

9 (A) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of sub10 paragraph (EE); 

11 (B) by adding ‘‘and’’ at the end of sub12 paragraph (FF); and 

13 (C) by adding at the end the following new 

14 subparagraph: 

15 ‘‘(GG) pulmonary self-management education 

16 and training services (as defined in subsection 

17 (iii)(1));’’; and 

18 (2) by adding at the end the following new sub19 section: 

20 ‘‘(iii) PULMONARY SELF-MANAGEMENT EDUCATION

21 AND TRAINING SERVICES; ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUAL; QUALI22 FIED RESPIRATORY THERAPIST.— 

23 ‘‘(1) For purposes of subsection (s)(2)(GG), the 

24 term ‘pulmonary self-management education and 

25 training services’ means patient education and train26 ing services furnished to an individual diagnosed 


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1 with a chronic lung disease, including such a disease 

2 described in paragraph (2), by a qualified res3 piratory therapist (as defined in paragraph (3)) in 

4 a physician practice but only if the physician who is 

5 managing the chronic lung disease of the individual 

6 determines, in accordance with a comprehensive plan 

7 of care related to the treatment of the individual for 

8 the chronic lung disease, that such services are need9 ed to ensure therapy compliance by the individual or 

10 to provide the individual with necessary skills and 

11 knowledge (including skills related to proper inhaler 

12 techniques) to participate in the management of the 

13 individual’s chronic lung disease. 

14 ‘‘(2) For purposes of paragraph (1), a chronic 

15 lung disease described in this paragraph is any of 

16 the following: 

17 ‘‘(A) Chronic obstructive pulmonary dis18 ease (COPD), including emphysema and bron19 chitis. 

20 ‘‘(B) Asthma. 

21 ‘‘(C) Pulmonary hypertension. 

22 ‘‘(D) Pulmonary fibrosis. 

23 ‘‘(E) Cystic fibrosis. 


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•HR 2619 IH

1 ‘‘(3) For purposes of paragraph (1), the term 

2 ‘qualified respiratory therapist’ means an individual 

3 who— 

4 ‘‘(A) is credentialed by a national 

5 credentialing board recognized by the Secretary; 

6 ‘‘(B)(i) is licensed to practice respiratory 

7 therapy in the State in which the respiratory 

8 therapy services are performed; or 

9 ‘‘(ii) in the case of an individual in a State 

10 which does not provide for such licensure, is le11 gally authorized to perform respiratory therapy 

12 services (in the State in which the individual 

13 performed such services) under State law (or 

14 the State regulatory mechanism provided by 

15 State law); 

16 ‘‘(C) is a registered respiratory therapist; 

17 and 

18 ‘‘(D) holds at a minimum either a bach19 elor’s degree or other advanced degree from an 

20 accredited school of higher education in a 

21 health science field.’’. 

Æ 


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