I 
113TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3877 
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 
JANUARY 15, 2014 
Mr. REICHERT (for himself, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. LANCE, and Mr. BRALEY 
of Iowa) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee 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 certain lymphedema compres-
sion treatment items as items of durable medical equip-
ment. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Lymphedema Treat-
ment Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) Lymphedema is a chronic disease that re-
sults in an accumulation of protein-rich lymph fluid 
in parts of the body where lymph nodes or lymphatic 
vessels are damaged or inadequate. 
(2) Lymphedema afflicts millions of Americans, 
including men, women, and children who can be 
born with a primary form of lymphedema. The ma-
jority of cases, however, are secondary forms of 
lymphedema most often caused by cancer treatments 
that damage the body’s lymph transport and im-
mune functions. 
(3) A 2010 peer-reviewed study in the Amer-
ican 
Cancer 
Society’s 
Cancer 
journal 
stated 
‘‘lymphedema is a common post-treatment condition 
[and] has been described as one of the most signifi-
cant survivorship issues’’. The study reported an 
overall cancer-related lymphedema incidence rate of 
15.5 percent, with specific rates as follows: sarcoma 
30 percent, breast 20 percent, gynecological 20 per-
cent, melanoma 16 percent, genital-urinary 10 per-
cent, and head and neck 4 percent. Risk increased 
22 percent after pelvic lymph node removal and 31 
percent after radiation therapy. 
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(4) Lymphedema is progressive when left un-
treated or under-treated and can put patients at 
greater risk for serious infections or other costly 
complications. 
(5) Congress acknowledged the importance of 
comprehensive lymphedema treatment coverage with 
passage of the Women’s Health and Cancer Rights 
Act of 1998, which requires group health plans, in-
surance companies, and health maintenance organi-
zations to cover breast cancer-related lymphedema 
treatment post mastectomy and reconstruction. 
(6) Medicare beneficiaries with lymphedema 
currently lack coverage for compression therapy, an 
essential component of care they must use to man-
age their chronic disease. As a result, many patients 
cannot maintain their condition and experience an 
unnecessary loss of health and of function in the ac-
tivities of daily living. 
(7) This Medicare coverage gap should be 
closed to help provide improved health care for 
lymphedema patients and in turn decrease the inci-
dence of costly complications, co-morbidities and re-
lated disabilities. 
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SEC. 3. MEDICARE COVERAGE OF CERTAIN LYMPHEDEMA 
COMPRESSION TREATMENT ITEMS AS ITEMS 
OF DURABLE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1861 of the Social Secu-
rity Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (n), in the first sentence, by 
inserting before the semicolon the following: ‘‘and in-
cludes lymphedema compression treatment items (as 
defined in subsection (iii))’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(iii) LYMPHEDEMA
COMPRESSION
TREATMENT 
ITEMS.—The term ‘lymphedema compression treatment 
items’— 
‘‘(1) means, with respect to an individual, com-
pression garments, devices, bandaging systems, com-
ponents, and supplies— 
‘‘(A) that are primarily and customarily 
used in the medical treatment of lymphedema; 
‘‘(B) as prescribed by a physician (or a 
physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or a 
clinical nurse specialist (as those terms are de-
fined in section 1861(aa)(5)) to the extent au-
thorized under State law); and 
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‘‘(C) which would not, other than under 
subsection (s)(6), be included as medical and 
other health services under this title; and 
‘‘(2) includes— 
‘‘(A) multilayer compression bandaging 
systems; 
‘‘(B) custom or standard fit gradient com-
pression garments; 
‘‘(C) non-elastic and low-elastic compres-
sion garments and compression wraps and di-
rectional flow pads; and 
‘‘(D) any other compression garments, 
bandaging systems, devices, and aids deter-
mined by the Secretary to be effective in the 
prevention or treatment of lymphedema.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall apply to lymphedema compression 
treatment items furnished on or after 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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