,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ebed  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,november #bb1       
#bjai,ms4 ,sewell of ,alabama 7for      
herself1 ,mr4 ,reed1 and ,ms4 ,de,gette7
 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 #bjai4  #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,,gg71 by striking and at 
the end2  7,b7 in subparagraph 7,,hh71  
by adding and at the end2 and  7,c7 by  
inserting after subparagraph 7,,hh7 the 
following new subparagraph3  7,,ii7     
digital retinal imaging with remote     
interpretation 7as defined in subsection
 7kkk772  2 and  7#b7 by adding at the  
end the following new subsection3  7kkk7
 ,digital ,retinal ,imaging with ,remote
 ,interpretation ,the term digital      
retinal imaging with remote             
interpretation means a diagnostic       
procedure 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 does not have    
prior diabetic retinopathy known to the 
primary care practitioner of the        
individual2  7#b7 is provided by or     
under the general 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 choroid1 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          
,state-licensed ophthalmologist or      
optometrist4  4  7b7 ,payment ,the      
payment amount for digital retinal      
imaging with remote interpretation      
provided pursuant to the amendments made
 by section 7a7 shall be equal to--     
7#a7 for the period beginning on        
,october #a1 #bjai1 and ending on       
,december #ca1 #bjai1 and for #bjbj1    
#ea4ed2 and  7#b7 for a subsequent year1
 the payment amount specified in        
subparagraph 7#a7 or this subparagraph  

for the preceding year increased by the 
percentage increase in the ,,mei 7as    
defined in section #ahdb7;i77#c7 of the 
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#acieu7i77#c77 for such subsequent year4
  ,digital retinal imaging with remote  
interpretation shall not be considered a
 telehealth service for purposes of     
section #ahcd7m7 of the ,social         
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#aciem7m774  7c7 ,patient education and 
awareness  7#a7 ,annual eye exam        
recommendation ,the ,secretary of       
,health and ,human ,services shall      
ensure that diabetes outpatient         
self-management training services       
described in section #ahfa7qq7 of the   
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#aciex7qq77 educate ,medicare           
beneficiaries regarding the importance  
of receiving an annual comprehensive eye
 exam4  7#b7 ,patient awareness ,the    
,secretary shall undertake efforts to   
ensure that patients receiving digital  
retinal imaging with remote             

interpretation as described in          
subsection 7kkk7 of section #ahfa of the
 ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4  
#aciex71 as added by subsection 7a71 are
 aware of the availability of and       
coverage for diabetes outpatient        
self-management training services under 
subsection 7s77#b77,s7 of such section4