,i  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #chgg  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,january #ae1        
#bjad,mr4 ,reichert 7for himself1 ,mr4  
,blumenauer1 ,mr4 ,lance1 and ,mr4      
,braley of ,iowa7 introduced the        
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce1
 and in addition to the ,committee on   
,ways and ,means1 for a period to be    
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 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 provide   
for ,medicare coverage of certain       
lymphedema compression treatment items  
as items of durable medical equipment4  
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,lymphedema ,treatment ,act4    
#b4 ,findings ,congress makes the       
following findings3 7#a7 ,lymphedema is 
a chronic disease that results in an    
accumulation of protein-rich lymph fluid

 in parts of the body where lymph nodes 
or lymphatic vessels are damaged or     
inadequate4  7#b7 ,lymphedema afflicts  
millions of ,americans1 including men1  
women1 and children who can be born with
 a primary form of lymphedema4 ,the     
majority of cases1 however1 are         
secondary forms of lymphedema most often
 caused by cancer treatments that damage
 the body's lymph transport and immune  
functions4  7#c7 ,a #bjaj peer-reviewed 
study in the ,american ,cancer          
,society's ,cancer journal stated       
lymphedema is a common post-treatment   
condition and has been described as one 
of the most significant survivorship    
issues4 ,the study reported an overall  
cancer-related lymphedema incidence rate
 of #ae4e percent1 with specific rates  
as follows3 sarcoma #cj percent1 breast 
#bj percent1 gynecological #bj percent1 
melanoma #af percent1 genital-urinary   
#aj percent1 and head and neck #d       
percent4 ,risk increased #bb percent    
after pelvic lymph node removal and #ca 

percent after radiation therapy4  7#d7  
,lymphedema is progressive when left    
untreated or under-treated and can put  
patients at greater risk for serious    
infections or other costly              
complications4  7#e7 ,congress          
acknowledged the importance of          
comprehensive lymphedema treatment      
coverage with passage of the ,women's   
,health and ,cancer ,rights ,act of     
#aiih1 which requires group health      
plans1 insurance companies1 and health  
maintenance organizations to cover      
breast cancer-related lymphedema        
treatment post mastectomy and           
reconstruction4  7#f7 ,medicare         
beneficiaries with lymphedema currently 
lack coverage for compression therapy1  
an essential component of care they must
 use to manage their chronic disease4   
,as a result1 many patients cannot      
maintain their condition and experience 
an unnecessary loss of health and of    
function in the activities of daily     
living4  7#g7 ,this ,medicare coverage  

gap should be closed to help provide    
improved health care for lymphedema     
patients and in turn decrease the       
incidence of costly complications1      
co-morbidities and related disabilities4
  #c4 ,medicare coverage of certain     
lymphedema compression treatment items  
as items of durable medical equipment   
7a7 ,in general ,section #ahfa of the   
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#aciex7 is amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 
7n71 in the first sentence1 by inserting
 before the semicolon the following3 and
 includes lymphedema compression        
treatment items 7as defined in          
subsection 7iii772 and  7#b7 by adding  
at the end the following new subsection3
  7iii7 ,lymphedema compression         
treatment items ,the term lymphedema    
compression treatment items-- 7#a7      
means1 with respect to an individual1   
compression garments1 devices1 bandaging
 systems1 components1 and supplies--    
7,a7 that are primarily and customarily 
used in the medical treatment of        

lymphedema2  7,b7 as prescribed by a    
physician 7or a physician assistant1    
nurse practitioner1 or a clinical nurse 
specialist 7as those terms are defined  
in section #ahfa7;aa77#e77 to the extent
 authorized under ,state law72 and  7,c7
 which would not1 other than under      
subsection 7s77#f71 be included as      
medical and other health services under 
this title2 and  7#b7 includes-- 7,a7   
multilayer compression bandaging        
systems2  7,b7 custom or standard fit   
gradient compression garments2  7,c7    
non-elastic and low-elastic compression 
garments and compression wraps and      
directional flow pads2 and  7,d7 any    
other compression garments1 bandaging   
systems1 devices1 and aids determined by
 the ,secretary to be effective in the  
prevention or treatment of lymphedema4  
4  7b7 ,effective date ,the amendment   
made by subsection 7a7 shall apply to   
lymphedema compression treatment items  
furnished on or after #ahj days after   
the date of the enactment of this ,act4