,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ffci  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #bg1 #bjah,mr4 
,reed 7for himself and ,ms4 ,sewell of  
,alabama7 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 coverage  
under the ,medicare program of digital  
retinal imaging with remote             
interpretation4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,diabetic      
,vision ,loss and ,blindness ,prevention
 ,act of #bjah4  #b4 ,medicare coverage 
of digital retinal imaging with remote  
interpretation  7a7 ,coverage ,section  
#ahfa of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db
 ,u4,s4,c4 #aciex7 is amended--  7#a7 in

 subsection 7s77#b7-- 7,a7 in           
subparagraph 7,,ff71 by striking and at 
the end2  7,b7 in subparagraph 7,,gg71  
by adding and at the end2 and  7,c7 by  
inserting after subparagraph 7,,gg7 the 
following new subparagraph3  7,,hh7     
digital retinal imaging with remote     
interpretation 7as defined in subsection
 7jjj772  2 and  7#b7 by adding at the  
end the following new subsection3  7jjj7
 ,digital ,retinal ,imaging with ,remote
 ,interpretation ,the term digital      
retinal imaging with remote             
interpretation means an exam for the    
purpose of early detection or assessment
 of diabetic retinopathy that-- 7#a7 is 
provided not more frequently than on an 
annual basis to an individual who has   
been diagnosed with diabetes and who--  
7,a7 does not have prior known diabetic 
retinopathy2 or  7,b7 is not known to   
have worse than mild non-proliferative  
diabetic retinopathy 7,,etdrs level     
#ce72  7#b7 is provided by or under the 
supervision of a primary care           

practitioner 7as defined in section     
#ahcc7x77 or board-certified            
endocrinologist2  7#c7 utilizes a       
retinal camera with optical resolution  
compliant with the ,international       
,organization for ,standardization ,,iso
 #ajidj to take digital images of       
structures behind the lens of the eye1  
such as the retina1 choroid and optic   
nerve2 and  7#d7 involves the electronic
 transmission of such images for        
evaluation for diabetic retinopathy and 
other diseases of the eye by a          
board-certified1 ,state-licensed        
ophthalmologist4  4  7b7 ,payment       
,notwithstanding section #ahcd7m7 of the
 ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4  
#aciem7m77-- 7#a7 payment shall be made 
pursuant to the amendments made by      
subsection 7a7 for digital retinal      
imaging with remote interpretation under
 ,,cpt code #ibbej2 and  7#b7 the       
,secretary of ,health and ,human        
,services shall establish a national    
minimum payment amount for ,,cpt code   

#ibbej and any successor to such codes  
that is not less than the reimbursement 
rate in effect for such code 7or        
predecessor code7 on ,december #ca1     
#bjag4