What This Bill Does
This bill changes Medicare rules to allow nurse practitioners and physician assistants to approve diabetes shoe coverage for patients. Currently, only doctors can fill out the paperwork required for Medicare to pay for special shoes designed for people with diabetes.
Who It Affects
People with diabetes who need special shoes covered by Medicare, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and Medicare.
Key Provisions
• Nurse practitioners and physician assistants can now satisfy the documentation requirement (paperwork requirement) for Medicare coverage of certain shoes for individuals with diabetes, the same way physicians currently do (Sec. 2)
What Changes
The law currently requires a physician's signature and approval for Medicare to cover diabetic shoes. This bill adds nurse practitioners and physician assistants as healthcare providers who can also provide this required approval.
Important Definitions
None defined in bill text.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 704
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to permit nurse practitioners
and physician assistants to satisfy the documentation requirement under
the Medicare program for coverage of certain shoes for individuals with
diabetes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 1, 2023
Mr. BLUMENAUER (for himself and Mr. LAHOOD) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and
in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be sub-
sequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of
such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to permit
nurse practitioners and physician assistants to satisfy
the documentation requirement under the Medicare pro-
gram for coverage of certain shoes for individuals with
diabetes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Promoting Access to
4
Diabetic Shoes Act’’.
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•HR 704 IH
SEC. 2. PERMITTING NURSE PRACTITIONERS AND PHYSI-
1
CIAN ASSISTANTS TO SATISFY MEDICARE
2
DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENT FOR COV-
3
ERAGE OF CERTAIN SHOES FOR INDIVIDUALS
4
WITH DIABETES.
5
Section 1861(s)(12) of the Social Security Act (42
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U.S.C. 1395x(s)(12)) is amended—
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(1) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ‘‘, nurse
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practitioner, or physician assistant’’ after ‘‘physi-
9
cian’’; and
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(2) in subparagraph (C), by inserting ‘‘, nurse
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practitioner, or physician assistant’’ after each oc-
12
currence of ‘‘physician’’.
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Æ
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