Osteoporosis Early Detection and Prevention Act of 2004

Bill: 108-hr-4154
Sponsor: Rep. Maloney, Carolyn B. [D-NY-14]
Introduced: 2004-04-02 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Access to health care
Bone diseases
Chemotherapy
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Coinsurance
Commerce
Communication in medicine
Discrimination in insurance
Discrimination in medical care
Drug therapy
Employee health benefits
Estrogen
Finance and Financial Sector
Freedom of speech
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Health insurance
Imaging systems in medicine
Insurance companies
Labor and Employment
Medical tests
Osteoporosis
Patients' rights
Physician-patient privilege
Preventive medicine
Radioisotopes in medicine
Science, Technology, Communications
State laws
Steroids
Thyroid diseases
Women
Women's health
X-rays

Summary:
action_date: 2004-04-02
text: Osteoporosis Early Detection and Prevention Act of 2004 - Amends the Public Health Service Act and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to require a group health plan, and an insurer offering group coverage, to include coverage for bone mass measurement for individuals who: (1) are at a clinical risk for osteoporosis, including estrogen-deficient women; (2) have vertebral abnormalities; (3) are receiving chemotherapy or long-term gluococorticoid (steroid) therapy; (4) have primary hyperparathyroidism, hyperthyroidism, or excess thyroid replacement; or (5) are being monitored to assess the response to or efficacy of approved osteoporosis drug therapy. Allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to regulate the frequency with which individuals will be provided this benefit. Permits cost sharing, including deductibles and coinsurance. Prohibits specified actions discouraging the use of this benefit, including: (1) denying coverage; (2) offering incentives to not obtain or provide bone mass measurements; (3) restricting provider-patient communications; and (4) penalizing or limiting reimbursements to providers. Allows State laws providing greater detection or prevention benefits. Amends the Public Health Service Act to apply these requirements to coverage offered in the individual market.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-04-30
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations.
action_date: 2004-04-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2004-04-02
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, 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.
action_date: 2004-04-02
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, 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.
action_date: 2004-04-02
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, 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.
action_date: 2004-04-02
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2004-04-02
text: Introduced in House