Steve Gleason Act of 2015

Bill: 114-s-768
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Vitter, David [R-LA]
Introduced: 2015-03-18
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Health care coverage and access

Health technology, devices, supplies

Hearing, speech, and vision care

Medicare

Neurological disorders
Latest action: action_date: 2015-03-18
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Summaries:
action_date: 2015-03-18
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Steve Gleason Act of 2015</b></p> <p>This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to cover as durable medical equipment any eye tracking and gaze interaction accessories for speech generating devices furnished to individuals with a demonstrated medical need for them.</p> <p>Payment for speech generating devices or accessories shall be made on a rental basis, or in a lump-sum amount for the purchase of the item, without a cap on the amount.</p>

tv_txt: II 114th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 768 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 18, 2015 Mr. Vitter (for himself, Ms. Klobuchar , Mr. King , Mr. Grassley , Mr. Kirk , Ms. Collins , and Ms. Murkowski ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance A BILL To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide Medicare beneficiary access to eye tracking accessories for speech generating devices and to remove the rental cap for durable medical equipment under the Medicare Program with respect to speech generating devices.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Steve Gleason Act of 2015 . 2. Providing Medicare beneficiary access to eye tracking accessories for speech generating devices (a) In general Section 1861(n) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395x(n) ) is amended by inserting and eye tracking and gaze interaction accessories for speech generating devices furnished to individuals with a demonstrated medical need for such accessories after appropriate organizations) . (b) Effective date The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to devices furnished on or after January 1, 2016. 3. Removing the rental cap for durable medical equipment under Medicare with respect to speech generating devices (a) In general Section 1834(a)(2)(A) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395m(a)(2)(A) ) is amended— (1) in clause (ii), by striking or at the end; (2) in clause (iii), by adding or at the end; and (3) by inserting after clause (iii) the following new clause: (iv) which serves as a speech generating device or which is an accessory that is needed for the individual to effectively utilize such a device, . (b) Effective date The amendments made by this section shall apply with respect to devices furnished on or after July 1, 2015.