I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1873 
To provide outreach and reporting on comprehensive Alzheimer’s disease 
care planning services furnished under the Medicare program. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 26, 2019 
Mr. TONKO (for himself, Mrs. WALORSKI, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. GUTHRIE, 
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, and Ms. WATERS) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in 
addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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 con-
cerned 
A BILL 
To provide outreach and reporting on comprehensive Alz-
heimer’s disease care planning services furnished under 
the Medicare program. 
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 ‘‘Improving HOPE for 
Alzheimer’s’’. 
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SEC. 2. CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES 
PROVIDER OUTREACH AND REPORTING ON 
COMPREHENSIVE 
ALZHEIMER’S 
DISEASE 
CARE PLANNING SERVICES. 
(a) OUTREACH.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Sec-
retary’’) shall conduct outreach to physicians and appro-
priate non-physician practitioners participating under the 
Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) with respect to comprehen-
sive care planning services furnished to individuals with 
Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (in this section 
referred to as ‘‘comprehensive Alzheimer’s disease care 
planning services’’). Such outreach shall include a com-
prehensive, one-time education initiative to inform such 
physicians and practitioners of the addition of such serv-
ices as a covered benefit under the Medicare program, in-
cluding materials on appropriate diagnostic evaluations 
and explanations of the requirements for eligibility for 
such services. 
(b) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.— 
(1) PROVIDER OUTREACH.—Not later than one 
year after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Ways 
and Means and the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce of the House of Representatives and the Com-
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mittee on Finance of the Senate a report on the out-
reach conducted under subsection (a). Such report 
shall include a description of the methods used for 
such outreach. 
(2) UTILIZATION
RATES.—Not later than 18 
months after such date of enactment and annually 
thereafter for the succeeding five years, the Sec-
retary shall submit to the Committee on Ways and 
Means and the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
on Finance of the Senate a report on the number of 
Medicare beneficiaries who, during the preceding 
year, were furnished comprehensive Alzheimer’s dis-
ease care planning services for which payment was 
made under title XVIII of the Social Security Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.). Each such report shall in-
clude information on any barriers Medicare bene-
ficiaries face to access such services and the rec-
ommendations of the Secretary to eliminate any 
such barriers. 
(3) COPY OF EACH REPORT.—On the same day 
that a report is submitted under paragraph (1) or 
(2), the Secretary shall transmit a copy of such re-
port to the Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Re-
search, Care, and Services established under section 
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2(e) of the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (42 
U.S.C. 11225(e); Public Law 111–375). 
Æ 
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