I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2620
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage
of glaucoma detection services under part B of the Medicare Program.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 27, 1999
Mr. FOLEY (for himself, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, and Mr. COOKSEY) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 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 consider-
ation 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 coverage of glaucoma detection services under part
B of 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 ‘‘Medicare Glaucoma
Detection Act of 1999’’.
SEC. 2. MEDICARE COVERAGE OF GLAUCOMA DETECTION
TESTS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1861 of the Social Secu-
rity Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x) is amended—
(1) in subsection (s)(2)—
(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of sub-
paragraph (S),
(B) by striking the period at the end of
subparagraph (T) and inserting ‘‘; and’’, and
(C) by adding at the end the following new
subparagraph:
‘‘(U) glaucoma detection tests (as defined in
subsection (uu));’’; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section:
‘‘Glaucoma Detection Tests
‘‘(uu) The term ‘glaucoma detection test’ means all
of the following conducted for the purpose of early detec-
tion of glaucoma:
‘‘(1) A dilated eye examination with an intra-
ocular pressure measurement.
‘‘(2) Direct ophthalmoscopy or slit-lamp bio-
microscopic examination.’’.
(b) LIMITATION ON ELIGIBILITY AND FREQUENCY.—
Section 1834 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m) is amended
by adding at the end the following new subsection:
this part for glaucoma detection tests per-
formed for an individual within 23 months fol-
lowing the month in which glaucoma detection
tests were performed under this part for the in-
dividual.
‘‘(B) EXCEPTION.—The Secretary may
permit glaucoma detection tests to be covered
on a more frequent basis than that provided
under subparagraph (A) under such cir-
cumstances as the Secretary determines to be
appropriate.
(c) NO APPLICATION
OF DEDUCTIBLE.—Section
1833(b)(5) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(b)(5)) is amend-
ed by inserting ‘‘or with respect to glaucoma detection
tests (as defined in section 1861(uu))’’ after ‘‘1861(jj))’’.
(d) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 1862(a)
of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395y(a)) is amended—
(1) in paragraph (1)—
(A) in subparagraph (H), by striking
‘‘and’’ at the end,
(B) in subparagraph (I), by striking the
semicolon at the end and inserting ‘‘, and’’, and
(C) by adding at the end the following new
subparagraph:
‘‘(J) in the case of glaucoma detection tests (as
defined in section 1861(uu)), which are performed
more frequently than is covered under section
1834(m)(3);’’; and
(2) in paragraph (7), by striking ‘‘or (H)’’ and
inserting ‘‘(H), or (I)’’.
(e) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by
this section apply to tests provided on or after January
1, 2000.
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