Title: Understanding Appropriate Alzheimer’s Care Act of 2019
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Understanding Appropriate Alzheimer's Care Act of 2019
This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to report on the appropriateness of antipsychotic prescriptions in settings other than nursing homes, particularly with respect to individuals with Alzheimer's disease.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1955 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1955

  To require the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 
 Services to conduct a study on antipsychotic prescribing practices in 
  nonnursing home settings under the Medicare program, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 28, 2019

Ms. Kuster of New Hampshire (for herself, 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 concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To require the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 
 Services to conduct a study on antipsychotic prescribing practices in 
  nonnursing home settings under the Medicare program, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Understanding Appropriate 
Alzheimer's Care Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. REQUIREMENT OF ADMINISTRATOR OF CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID 
              SERVICES TO CONDUCT STUDY ON ANTIPSYCHOTIC PRESCRIBING 
              PRACTICES IN NONNURSING HOME SETTINGS UNDER MEDICARE 
              PROGRAM.

    Not later than the date that is 18 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & 
Medicaid Services shall, in coordination with the heads of other 
entities within the Department of Health and Human Services (as 
determined appropriate by the Secretary of Health and Human Services) 
and the Comptroller General of the United States--
            (1) conduct a study on antipsychotic prescribing practices 
        in nonnursing home settings under the Medicare program under 
        title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) 
        that assesses--
                    (A) whether antipsychotic prescribing practices in 
                such nonnursing home settings are appropriate or 
                inappropriate;
                    (B) whether individuals who have been prescribed 
                antipsychotic medications in such nonnursing home 
                settings have had improved health outcomes, taking into 
                account the duration of any such prescription;
                    (C) whether physicians--
                            (i) are aware of the health risks of 
                        antipsychotic medications for individuals with 
                        Alzheimer's disease; and
                            (ii) attempt to use nonpharmacological 
                        interventions before prescribing such 
                        medications for such individuals; and
                    (D) whether individuals who have been prescribed 
                antipsychotic medications in such nonnursing home 
                settings, and the families of such individuals, are 
                aware of the health risks of such medications; and
            (2) submit to Congress and the Secretary of Health and 
        Human Services, and make publicly available, a report on the 
        findings of such study, including recommendations for how 
        inappropriate antipsychotic prescribing practices in such 
        nonnursing home settings may be reduced.
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