US Congress Senate Bill 595 (Prior Session Legislation)

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Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 12-5-1)
Status: Introduced on February 28 2019 - 25% progression, died in committee
Action: 2019-02-28 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Pending: Senate Finance Committee
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [PDF]

Expands Medicare coverage of intensive behavioral therapy for obesity. Specifically, the bill allows coverage for therapy that is provided by (1) a physician who is not a primary care physician; or (2) other health care providers (e.g., physician assistants and nurse practitioners) and approved counseling programs, if provided upon a referral from, and in coordination with, a physician or primary care practitioner. Currently, such therapy is covered only if provided by a primary care practitioner. The bill also allows coverage under Medicare's prescription drug benefit of drugs used for the treatment of obesity or for weight loss management for individuals who are overweight.

Treat and Reduce Obesity Act of 2019

Sen. Bill Cassidy [R-LA]	Sen. Thomas Carper [D-DE]	Sen. Shelley Capito [R-WV]	Sen. Christopher Coons [D-DE]
Sen. Marsha Blackburn [R-TN]	Sen. Martin Heinrich [D-NM]	Sen. Lisa Murkowski [R-AK]	Sen. Amy Klobuchar [D-MN]
Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith [R-MS]	Sen. Todd Young [R-IN]	Sen. Kevin Cramer [R-ND]	Sen. Jeanne Shaheen [D-NH]
Sen. Roger Wicker [R-MS]	Sen. Kyrsten Sinema [I-AZ]	Sen. Pat Roberts [R-KS]	Sen. Joni Ernst [R-IA]
Sen. Richard Burr [R-NC]	Sen. Thom Tillis [R-NC]

Date	Chamber	Action
2019-02-28	Senate	Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

HB1530 (Same As) 2019-03-06 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Type	Source
Summary	https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/595/all-info
Text	https://www.congress.gov/116/bills/s595/BILLS-116s595is.pdf