I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1948 
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 
MARCH 28, 2019 
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY (for herself, Mr. CARTER of Georgia, Mr. BLUMENAUER, 
Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania, Mr. RUIZ, Mr. WELCH, Mr. GIANFORTE, 
Ms. MATSUI, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. CICILLINE, Ms. MOORE, Ms. GABBARD, 
Ms. 
JOHNSON
of 
Texas, 
Mrs. 
RODGERS
of 
Washington, 
Mr. 
FITZPATRICK, Mr. GAETZ, Mr. DIAZ-BALART, Mr. HOLDING, Mrs. 
BUSTOS, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. VELA, Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER, Mr. 
RUSH, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. YARMUTH, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. 
HILL of California, Mr. FOSTER, Mr. TONKO, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. 
THOMPSON of California, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. KING of New York, Mr. 
MASSIE, Mr. KING of Iowa, Mr. RUTHERFORD, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. 
COHEN, Mr. VISCLOSKY, Mr. SUOZZI, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Mr. 
GALLEGO, Mr. HECK, Mr. MICHAEL F. DOYLE of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
PRICE of North Carolina, Mr. COLE, Mr. SMITH of Nebraska, Mr. 
WESTERMAN, Mr. BYRNE, Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. RASKIN, 
Mr. KIND, Mr. ROSE of New York, Mr. DUFFY, Mr. KATKO, Mr. STEW-
ART, Mr. GRIFFITH, Miss GONZA´LEZ-COLO´N of Puerto Rico, Mrs. 
BROOKS of Indiana, Mr. ZELDIN, Mr. RYAN, Mr. DEUTCH, Ms. SEWELL 
of Alabama, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Ms. MUCARSEL-POWELL, Ms. 
BARRAGA´N, Ms. SCHRIER, Mr. YOUNG, Mr. MULLIN, Mr. RICE of South 
Carolina, Mrs. RADEWAGEN, Mr. NEGUSE, Mr. ENGEL, Ms. MCCOLLUM, 
Mrs. DINGELL, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Mr. COOPER, Miss RICE of New York, 
Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. HURD of Texas, Mr. ROONEY of 
Florida, Mr. WENSTRUP, Mr. JOYCE of Ohio, Mr. LOEBSACK, Mr. 
SCHIFF, Mr. MORELLE, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. LAWSON of Florida, Mr. 
POSEY, Mr. LAMBORN, Ms. ADAMS, Mr. PALAZZO, and Mr. MITCHELL) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on En-
ergy 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 jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
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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 of 2019’’. 
SEC. 2. 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 (kkk))’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘Lymphedema Compression Treatment Items 
‘‘(kkk) The term ‘lymphedema compression treat-
ment items’— 
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‘‘(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 
‘‘(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.’’. 
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(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
subsection (a) shall apply to lymphedema compression 
treatment items furnished on or after January 1, 2021. 
Æ 
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