I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1948 

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

coverage of certain lymphedema compression treatment items as items 

of durable medical equipment. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 28, 2019 

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY (for herself, Mr. CARTER of Georgia, Mr. BLUMENAUER, 

Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania, Mr. RUIZ, Mr. WELCH, Mr. GIANFORTE, 

Ms. MATSUI, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. CICILLINE, Ms. MOORE, Ms. GABBARD, 

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas, Mrs. RODGERS of Washington, Mr. 

FITZPATRICK, Mr. GAETZ, Mr. DIAZ-BALART, Mr. HOLDING, Mrs. 

BUSTOS, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. VELA, Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER, Mr. 

RUSH, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. YARMUTH, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. 

HILL of California, Mr. FOSTER, Mr. TONKO, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. 

THOMPSON of California, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. KING of New York, Mr. 

MASSIE, Mr. KING of Iowa, Mr. RUTHERFORD, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. 

COHEN, Mr. VISCLOSKY, Mr. SUOZZI, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Mr. 

GALLEGO, Mr. HECK, Mr. MICHAEL F. DOYLE of Pennsylvania, Mr. 

PRICE of North Carolina, Mr. COLE, Mr. SMITH of Nebraska, Mr. 

WESTERMAN, Mr. BYRNE, Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. RASKIN, 

Mr. KIND, Mr. ROSE of New York, Mr. DUFFY, Mr. KATKO, Mr. STEWART, Mr. GRIFFITH, Miss GONZA ́LEZ-COLO ́N of Puerto Rico, Mrs. 

BROOKS of Indiana, Mr. ZELDIN, Mr. RYAN, Mr. DEUTCH, Ms. SEWELL

of Alabama, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Ms. MUCARSEL-POWELL, Ms. 

BARRAGA ́N, Ms. SCHRIER, Mr. YOUNG, Mr. MULLIN, Mr. RICE of South 

Carolina, Mrs. RADEWAGEN, Mr. NEGUSE, Mr. ENGEL, Ms. MCCOLLUM, 

Mrs. DINGELL, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Mr. COOPER, Miss RICE of New York, 

Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. HURD of Texas, Mr. ROONEY of 

Florida, Mr. WENSTRUP, Mr. JOYCE of Ohio, Mr. LOEBSACK, Mr. 

SCHIFF, Mr. MORELLE, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. LAWSON of Florida, Mr. 

POSEY, Mr. LAMBORN, Ms. ADAMS, Mr. PALAZZO, and Mr. MITCHELL) 

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 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
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•HR 1948 IH

A BILL 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide 

for Medicare coverage of certain lymphedema compression treatment items as items of durable medical equipment. 

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 ‘‘Lymphedema Treat5 ment Act of 2019’’. 

6 SEC. 2. MEDICARE COVERAGE OF CERTAIN LYMPHEDEMA 

7 COMPRESSION TREATMENT ITEMS AS ITEMS 

8 OF DURABLE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1861 of the Social Secu10 rity Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x) is amended— 

11 (1) in subsection (n), in the first sentence, by 

12 inserting before the semicolon the following: ‘‘and in13 cludes lymphedema compression treatment items (as 

14 defined in subsection (kkk))’’; and 

15 (2) by adding at the end the following new sub16 section: 

17 ‘‘Lymphedema Compression Treatment Items 

18 ‘‘(kkk) The term ‘lymphedema compression treat19 ment items’— 


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•HR 1948 IH

1 ‘‘(1) means, with respect to an individual, com2 pression garments, devices, bandaging systems, com3 ponents, and supplies— 

4 ‘‘(A) that are primarily and customarily 

5 used in the medical treatment of lymphedema; 

6 ‘‘(B) as prescribed by a physician (or a 

7 physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or a 

8 clinical nurse specialist (as those terms are de9 fined in section 1861(aa)(5)) to the extent au10 thorized under State law); and 

11 ‘‘(C) which would not, other than under 

12 subsection (s)(6), be included as medical and 

13 other health services under this title; and 

14 ‘‘(2) includes— 

15 ‘‘(A) multilayer compression bandaging 

16 systems; 

17 ‘‘(B) custom or standard fit gradient com18 pression garments; 

19 ‘‘(C) non-elastic and low-elastic compres20 sion garments and compression wraps and di21 rectional flow pads; and 

22 ‘‘(D) any other compression garments, 

23 bandaging systems, devices, and aids deter24 mined by the Secretary to be effective in the 

25 prevention or treatment of lymphedema.’’. 


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•HR 1948 IH

1 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

2 subsection (a) shall apply to lymphedema compression 

3 treatment items furnished on or after January 1, 2021. 

Æ 


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