I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2415 
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to include information 
on the coverage of intensive behavioral therapy for obesity in the Medi-
care and You Handbook and to provide for the coordination of programs 
to prevent and treat obesity, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 18, 2013 
Mr. CASSIDY (for himself, Mr. KIND, Mr. LANCE, Mr. GUTHRIE, Mrs. BLACK-
BURN, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. BEN RAY LUJA´N of New Mexico, Mr. 
ROSKAM, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. PAULSEN, and Mr. PETERS of Cali-
fornia) 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 juris-
diction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to include 
information on the coverage of intensive behavioral ther-
apy for obesity in the Medicare and You Handbook and 
to provide for the coordination of programs to prevent 
and treat obesity, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Treat and Reduce Obe-
sity Act of 2013’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) According to the Centers for Disease Con-
trol, about 35 percent of adults aged 65 and over 
were obese in the period of 2007 through 2010, rep-
resenting over 8 million adults aged 65 through 74. 
(2) Obesity increases the risk for chronic dis-
eases and conditions, including high blood pressure, 
heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. 
(3) More than half of Medicare beneficiaries are 
treated for 5 or more chronic conditions per year. 
The rate of obesity among Medicare patients dou-
bled from 1987 to 2002, and spending on those indi-
viduals more than doubled. 
(4) Obese men and women at age 65 have de-
creased life expectancy of 1.6 years for men and 1.4 
years for women. 
(5) The direct and indirect cost of obesity is 
more than $450 billion annually. 
(6) On average, an obese Medicare beneficiary 
costs $1,964 more than a normal-weight beneficiary. 
(7) The prevalence of obesity among older 
Americans is growing at a linear rate and, left un-
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changed, nearly half of the elderly population will be 
obese in 2030 according to a Congressional Research 
Report on obesity. 
SEC. 3. INCLUSION OF INFORMATION ON COVERAGE OF IN-
TENSIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY FOR OBE-
SITY IN THE MEDICARE AND YOU HANDBOOK. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1804(a) of the Social Se-
curity Act (42 U.S.C. 1395b–2(a)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘, and’’; and 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (3) the fol-
lowing new paragraph: 
‘‘(4) information on the coverage of intensive 
behavioral therapy for obesity under this title, in-
cluding information regarding primary care physi-
cians and other providers of services and suppliers 
who are eligible to furnish such therapy.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
subsection (a) shall apply to notices distributed on or after 
the date of the enactment of this Act. 
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SEC. 4. AUTHORITY TO EXPAND HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS 
QUALIFIED TO FURNISH INTENSIVE BEHAV-
IORAL THERAPY. 
Section 1861(ddd) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395x(ddd)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new paragraph: 
‘‘(4) The Secretary may, in addition to qualified pri-
mary care physicians and other primary care practitioners, 
allow other physicians, registered dietitians, certified dia-
betes educators, and instructors trained and certified by 
the National Diabetes Prevention Lifestyle Coach Train-
ing program of the Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention to provide and be independently reimbursed for 
intensive behavioral therapy for obesity furnished outside 
of the primary care setting, so long as any such nonphysi-
cian provider or instructor furnishing such therapy to an 
individual must communicate any recommendations or 
treatment plan for the individual to the individual’s pri-
mary care physician or practitioner.’’. 
SEC. 5. MEDICARE PART D COVERAGE OF OBESITY MEDI-
CATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1860D–2(e)(2)(A) of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w–102(e)(2)(A)) is 
amended by inserting after ‘‘under section 1927(d)(2),’’ 
the following: ‘‘other than subparagraph (A) of such sec-
tion if the drug is used for the treatment of obesity (as 
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defined in section 1861(yy)(2)(C)) or for weight loss man-
agement for an individual who is overweight (as defined 
in section 1861(yy)(2)(F)(i)) and if the individual has one 
or more comorbidities,’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall apply to plan years beginning on or 
after the date that is 2 years after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act. 
Æ 
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