III 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 95 

Increasing awareness of and recognizing the life-saving role of ostomy care 

and prosthetics in the daily lives of hundreds of thousands of people 

in the United States. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 8, 2011 

Mr. BURR submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

RESOLUTION 

Increasing awareness of and recognizing the life-saving role 

of ostomy care and prosthetics in the daily lives of hundreds of thousands of people in the United States. 

Whereas over 700,000 individuals in the United States, from 

young children to senior citizens, have an ostomy, a surgical procedure that creates an artificial opening from the 

abdomen to the intestines or urinary system to allow for 

the elimination of bodily wastes; 

Whereas active duty military personnel who are wounded in 

battle often receive an ostomy as a result of penetrating 

colorectal injuries; 

Whereas an ostomy procedure can be essential to many patients who suffer on a daily basis from serious, chronic, 

or life-threatening traumatic injury to the abdomen, or 


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•SRES 95 IS 

other illnesses and conditions, such as colorectal or bladder cancer, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, birth defects, or other intestinal or urinary medical conditions; 

Whereas following ostomy surgery, patients may need specially fitted medical products to manage intestinal or urinary system function, temporarily or permanently restore 

intestinal or urinary system function, or re-establish activities of daily living, and improve quality of life; 

Whereas ostomy products are prosthetic devices prescribed by 

health care providers, and ostomy products are prosthetic 

devices, as defined in section 1861(s)(8) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(s)(8)); 

Whereas policy and reimbursement approaches to ostomy 

products may affect access for patients in need; 

Whereas ostomy products are customized to the clinical needs 

of individual patients and are not the same as other easily interchangeable medical supplies, such as gauze or 

bandages; 

Whereas ostomy care and prosthetics can be important to restoring function and improving quality of life for patients 

in need of this care; 

Whereas ongoing advances and innovation in ostomy prosthetics’ technology can dramatically improve the lives of 

individuals who undergo ostomy surgery by helping to 

normalize the intestinal or urinary system function of 

such individuals, improve physical well-being, and often 

enable the individual to rejoin the workforce; and 

Whereas Congress recognizes the importance of encouraging 

and facilitating the development and use of new medical 

technologies: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 


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•SRES 95 IS 

1 (1) recognizes the life-saving role of ostomy 

2 care and prosthetics in the daily lives of hundreds of 

3 thousands of people in the United States; 

4 (2) recognizes that if a surgical procedure re5 sults in a patient needing a prosthetic that manages 

6 or restores intestinal or urinary system function, 

7 specifically the control of the elimination of the 

8 body’s waste products, it is important for such pa9 tient to have access to the care that will best meet 

10 the patient’s needs; and 

11 (3) encourages innovation of, and access to, 

12 medical devices that restore or improve intestinal or 

13 urinary system function of people in the United 

14 States with an ostomy. 

Æ 


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