I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 186 
To establish a grant program to provide screenings for glaucoma to individ-
uals determined to be at high risk for glaucoma, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 6, 2009 
Mr. SERRANO 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 establish a grant program to provide screenings for glau-
coma to individuals determined to be at high risk for 
glaucoma, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Glaucoma Screening 
Act of 2009’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) It is estimated that only half of the more 
than 3,000,000 individuals in the United States that 
have glaucoma are aware that they have glaucoma. 
(2) Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness 
among African-Americans and Hispanics. 
(3) Glaucoma is 6 to 8 times more common in 
African-Americans than in Caucasians. 
(4) Glaucoma accounts for over 7,000,000 visits 
to physicians each year. 
(5) In terms of Social Security benefits paid, 
lost income tax revenues, and health care expendi-
tures, the cost of glaucoma to the United States gov-
ernment is estimated to be over $1.5 billion annu-
ally. 
(6) Poor vision costs Medicare more than $2 
billion per year in non-eye-related illnesses and 
health care needs. 
(7) Medicare currently provides coverage for 
glaucoma screenings for beneficiaries in the fol-
lowing high risk groups: 
(A) Individuals with diabetes. 
(B) Individuals with a family history of 
glaucoma. 
(C) African-Americans 50 years of age and 
older. 
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(D) Hispanics 65 years of age and older. 
(8) Although Medicare has covered glaucoma 
screenings since 1998 for beneficiaries with diabetes, 
less than 45 percent of those beneficiaries have had 
an eye exam. 
SEC. 3. MEDICARE COVERAGE OF GLAUCOMA SCREENINGS 
FOR CERTAIN HISPANICS. 
(a) EXPANDING MEDICARE COVERAGE
OF GLAU-
COMA SCREENINGS TO HISPANICS 50 YEARS OF AGE AND 
OLDER.—Section 1861(s)(2)(U) of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(s)(2)(U)) is amended by striking 
‘‘determined to be’’ and all that follows through ‘‘diabe-
tes’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘with a family history 
of glaucoma, individuals with diabetes, and individuals de-
termined to be at high risk for glaucoma including, among 
other individuals determined to be at high risk for glau-
coma, individuals who are both older than 49 years of age 
and Hispanic’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) applies with respect to services furnished 
on or after January 1, 2010. 
SEC. 4. GRANT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE SCREENINGS FOR 
GLAUCOMA TO HIGH RISK INDIVIDUALS. 
(a) GRANT PROGRAM.—The Secretary shall establish 
a program to award a grant to an eligible entity (as de-
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