Improving HOPE for Alzheimer's

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 1873 To provide outreach and reporting on comprehensive Alzheimer’s disease care planning services furnished under the Medicare program. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 26, 2019 Mr. TONKO (for himself, Mrs. WALORSKI, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. GUTHRIE, 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 con- cerned A BILL To provide outreach and reporting on comprehensive Alz- heimer’s disease care planning services furnished under the Medicare program. 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 ‘‘Improving HOPE for 4 Alzheimer’s’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:18 Apr 05, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1873.IH H1873 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HR 1873 IH SEC. 2. CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES 1 PROVIDER OUTREACH AND REPORTING ON 2 COMPREHENSIVE ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE 3 CARE PLANNING SERVICES. 4 (a) OUTREACH.—The Secretary of Health and 5 Human Services (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Sec- 6 retary’’) shall conduct outreach to physicians and appro- 7 priate non-physician practitioners participating under the 8 Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security 9 Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) with respect to comprehen- 10 sive care planning services furnished to individuals with 11 Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (in this section 12 referred to as ‘‘comprehensive Alzheimer’s disease care 13 planning services’’). Such outreach shall include a com- 14 prehensive, one-time education initiative to inform such 15 physicians and practitioners of the addition of such serv- 16 ices as a covered benefit under the Medicare program, in- 17 cluding materials on appropriate diagnostic evaluations 18 and explanations of the requirements for eligibility for 19 such services. 20 (b) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.— 21 (1) PROVIDER OUTREACH.—Not later than one 22 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the 23 Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Ways 24 and Means and the Committee on Energy and Com- 25 merce of the House of Representatives and the Com- 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:18 Apr 05, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1873.IH H1873 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HR 1873 IH mittee on Finance of the Senate a report on the out- 1 reach conducted under subsection (a). Such report 2 shall include a description of the methods used for 3 such outreach. 4 (2) UTILIZATION RATES.—Not later than 18 5 months after such date of enactment and annually 6 thereafter for the succeeding five years, the Sec- 7 retary shall submit to the Committee on Ways and 8 Means and the Committee on Energy and Commerce 9 of the House of Representatives and the Committee 10 on Finance of the Senate a report on the number of 11 Medicare beneficiaries who, during the preceding 12 year, were furnished comprehensive Alzheimer’s dis- 13 ease care planning services for which payment was 14 made under title XVIII of the Social Security Act 15 (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.). Each such report shall in- 16 clude information on any barriers Medicare bene- 17 ficiaries face to access such services and the rec- 18 ommendations of the Secretary to eliminate any 19 such barriers. 20 (3) COPY OF EACH REPORT.—On the same day 21 that a report is submitted under paragraph (1) or 22 (2), the Secretary shall transmit a copy of such re- 23 port to the Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Re- 24 search, Care, and Services established under section 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:18 Apr 05, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1873.IH H1873 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •HR 1873 IH 2(e) of the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (42 1 U.S.C. 11225(e); Public Law 111–375). 2 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:18 Apr 05, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H1873.IH H1873 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS