[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10291 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                               H. R. 10291

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage for 
       certain fall prevention items under the Medicare program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 4, 2024

 Mr. Magaziner (for himself, Ms. Norton, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Mr. 
Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Soto, and Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick) introduced 
 the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and the 
 Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 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 coverage for 
       certain fall prevention items under the Medicare program.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. PROVIDING COVERAGE FOR CERTAIN FALL PREVENTION ITEMS UNDER 
              THE MEDICARE PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--
            (1) Coverage.--Section 1861 of the Social Security Act (42 
        U.S.C. 1395x) is amended--
                    (A) in subsection (n)--
                            (i) by striking ``and wheelchairs'' and 
                        inserting ``wheelchairs''; and
                            (ii) by inserting ``, and fall prevention 
                        items (as defined in subsection (nnn))'' after 
                        ``may prescribe)''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following new 
                subsection:
    ``(nnn) Fall Prevention Items.--The term `fall prevention items' 
includes grab bars, non-slip mats, shower chairs, bed rails, and such 
other items or categories of items as the Secretary may specify.''.
            (2) Exclusion modification.--Section 1862(a)(1) of the 
        Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395y(a)(1)) is amended--
                    (A) in subparagraph (O), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in subparagraph (P), by striking the semicolon 
                and inserting ``, and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                subparagraph:
                    ``(Q) in the case of fall prevention items (as 
                defined in section 1861(nnn)), which are not furnished 
                pursuant to an order of a physician or practitioner (as 
                described in section 1842(b)(18)(C));''.
    (b) Exemption From Sequestration.--Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, payments for fall prevention items (as defined in 
section 1861(nnn) of the Social Security Act, as added by subsection 
(a)) under the Medicare program shall not be subject to any reduction 
under a sequestration issued under the Balanced Budget and Emergency 
Deficit Control Act of 1985, the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, 
or any other provision law.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
apply beginning 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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