|
108th Congress
Session I | Session II
P.L. 108-173 – Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003
On December 8, 2003, the President signed into law H.R. 1, the Medicare Prescription Drug,
Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, as P. L. 108-173. This legislation establishes a
voluntary prescription drug benefit under the Medicare program. The law requires Medicare to cover
an “initial preventive physical examination” for beneficiaries. Screening for the following will be
covered: prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, glaucoma, cardiovascular blood tests, and diabetes.
Other services will include: vaccinations (pneumococcal, influenza, and hepatitis B vaccine),
mammography, pap smear, diabetes outpatient self-management training, bone mass measurement, and
medical nutrition therapy. Under the Act’s new health care quality demonstration program, NIH will
expand efforts of the Institutes to evaluate current medical technologies and improve the foundation for
evidence-based practice. NIDDK is required to conduct a clinical investigation of pancreatic islet cell
transplantation. Payment for the routine costs, as well as transplantation and appropriate related items
and services for medicare beneficiaries participating in the clinical trial are to be paid by CMS. Routine
costs will include reasonable and necessary routine patient care costs, including immunosuppressive
drugs and other followup care. Authorization for the clinical trial was set at such sums as necessary
Legislative Update (December 2003): Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003
For further information, go to the Thomas
Web Site.
For a chronology of legislation affecting NIH, refer to the NIH Almanac.
|
|