II 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 390 

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

of ultrasound screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms under part B 

of the medicare program. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 15, 2005 

Mr. DODD (for himself and Mr. BUNNING) introduced the following bill; which 

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance 

A BILL

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide 

for coverage of ultrasound screening for abdominal aortic 

aneurysms under part B of the medicare program.

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 ‘‘Screening Abdominal 

5 Aortic Aneurysms Very Efficiently Act of 2005’’. 

6 SEC. 2. MEDICARE COVERAGE OF ULTRASOUND SCREEN7 ING FOR ABDOMINAL AORTIC ANEURYSMS. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1861 of the Social Secu9 rity Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x) is amended— 
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1 (1) in subsection (s)(2)— 

2 (A) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of sub3 paragraph (Y); 

4 (B) by adding ‘‘and’’ at the end of sub5 paragraph (Z); and 

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

7 subparagraph: 

8 ‘‘(AA) ultrasound screening for abdominal aor9 tic aneurysm (as defined in subsection (bbb)) for an 

10 individual who has not been previously furnished 

11 such ultrasound screening and who— 

12 ‘‘(i) has a family history of abdominal aor13 tic aneurysm; 

14 ‘‘(ii) manifests risk factors for cardio15 vascular disease (such as smoking or hyper16 tension); 

17 ‘‘(iii) evidences arthrosclerotic vascular dis18 ease; or 

19 ‘‘(iv) has other risk factors for abdominal 

20 aortic aneurysm as the Secretary may specify;’’; 

21 and 

22 (2) by adding at the end the following new sub23 section: 
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1 ‘‘Ultrasound Screening for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm 

2 ‘‘(bbb) The term ‘ultrasound screening for abdominal 

3 aortic aneurysm’ means— 

4 ‘‘(1) a procedure using sound waves (or such 

5 other procedures using alternative technologies, of 

6 commensurate accuracy and cost, that the Secretary 

7 may specify) for the early detection of abdominal 

8 aortic aneurysm; and 

9 ‘‘(2) includes a physician’s interpretation of the 

10 results of the procedure.’’. 

11 (b) INCLUSION OF ULTRASOUND SCREENING FOR

12 ABDOMINAL AORTIC ANEURYSM IN SCREENING SERVICES

13 FOR WHICH EDUCATION, COUNSELING, AND REFERRAL

14 IS PROVIDED FOR UNDER BENEFITS FOR INITIAL PRE15 VENTIVE PHYSICAL EXAMINATION.—Section 1861(ww)(2) 

16 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(ww)(2)) is 

17 amended by adding at the end the following new subpara18 graph: 

19 ‘‘(L) Ultrasound screening for abdominal aortic 

20 aneurysm as defined in section 1861(bbb).’’. 

21 (c) PAYMENT FOR ULTRASOUND SCREENING FOR

22 ABDOMINAL AORTIC ANEURYSM.—Section 1848(j)(3) of 

23 the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w–4(j)(3)) is 

24 amended by inserting ‘‘(2)(AA)’’ after ‘‘(2)(W)’’. 
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1 (d) FREQUENCY AND QUALITY STANDARDS.—Sec2 tion 1862(a)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

3 1395m(a)(1)) is amended— 

4 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara5 graph (L); 

6 (2) by striking the semicolon at the end of sub7 paragraph (M) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

8 (3) by adding at the end the following new sub9 paragraph: 

10 ‘‘(N) in the case of ultrasound screening for ab11 dominal aortic aneurysm— 

12 ‘‘(i) which is performed more frequently 

13 than is provided for under section 

14 1861(s)(2)(AA); or 

15 ‘‘(ii) which is performed by an individual 

16 or diagnostic laboratory that does not meet 

17 quality assurance standards established by the 

18 Secretary, including with respect to individuals 

19 performing ultrasound screening for abdominal 

20 aortic aneurysm (other than physicians) and di21 agnostic laboratories, that the individual or lab22 oratory is certified by the appropriate State li23 censing or certification agency or, in the case of 

24 service performed in a State that does not li25 cense or certify such individuals or laboratories, 
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1 by a national certification or accreditation orga2 nization recognized by the Secretary.’’. 

3 (e) NON-APPLICATION OF PART B DEDUCTIBLE.—

4 Section 1833(b) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

5 1395l(b)) is amended— 

6 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ after ‘‘section 1861(jj)),’’; 

7 and 

8 (2) by inserting ‘‘, and (7) such deductible shall 

9 not apply with respect to ultrasound screening for 

10 abdominal aortic aneurysm (as defined in section 

11 1861(bbb))’’ after ‘‘1861(nn))’’. 

12 (f) CONSULTATION IN ESTABLISHMENT OF QUALITY

13 ASSURANCE STANDARDS AND DESIGNATION OF RECOGNI14 TION OF NATIONAL ACCREDITATION ORGANIZATIONS.—

15 The Secretary shall consult with national medical, vas16 cular technologist, and sonographer societies in estab17 lishing— 

18 (1) risk factors under section 

19 1861(s)(2)(AA)(iv) of the Social Security Act, as 

20 added by subsection (a)(1)(C); and 

21 (2) quality assurance standards under section 

22 1862(a)(1)(N)(ii) of such Act, as added by sub23 section (d)(3). 

24 (g) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

25 this section shall apply to ultrasounds screening for ab-
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1 dominal aortic aneurysm performed on or after January 

2 1, 2006. 

3 SEC. 3. NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATION CAM4 PAIGN. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—After consultation with national 

6 medical, vascular technologist, and sonographer societies, 

7 the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall carry 

8 out a national education and information campaign to pro9 mote awareness among health care practitioners and the 

10 general public with respect to the importance of early de11 tection and treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysms. 

12 (b) USE OF FUNDS.—The Secretary may use 

13 amounts appropriated pursuant to this section to make 

14 grants to national medical, vascular technologist, and 

15 sonographer societies (in accordance with procedures and 

16 criteria specified by the Secretary) to enable them to edu17 cate practitioners and providers about matters relating to 

18 such aneurysms. 

19 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

20 authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2006 and 

21 each fiscal year thereafter such sums as may be necessary 

22 to carry out this section.

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