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Legislative Updates

• Legislative Corner. Does Incorrect Coding Lead to Medicare Denials?: Apr - Jun, 2012
• Legislative Corner. Appealing a Medicare or Insurance Denial: Jan – Mar, 2012
• Legislative Corner. LE Bill Redux: From H.R. 4662 to H.R. 2499: Oct - Dec, 2011
• Legislative Corner. Making a Medicare or Insurance Claim: Jul - Sep, 2011
• Legislative Corner. Medicare Changes in 2011: Apr - Jun, 2011
• Legislative Corner. About H.R. 4662 2010: Jan - Mar, 2011
• Medicare at a Threshold Part 3. Lobby Trip, NLN IAC, Bill Changes: Oct - Dec, 2010
• Medicare at a Threshold Part 2. Update Lymphedema Bill 2010: Jul - Sep, 2010
• Medicare at a Threshold Part 1. MEDCAC, Coding, Denials: Apr - Jun, 2010
• Legislation Update: Medicare MEDCAC, Pump Claims Coding: Jan - Mar, 2010
• Lymphedema Insurance and Legislation Update. NC Law: Oct - Dec, 2009
• Lymphedema Insurance and Legislation Update. State Bills NY, NC, MA Jul - Sep, 2009
• Lymphedema Insurance and Legislation Update. NY Bills Apr - Jun, 2009
• Lymphedema Insurance and Legislation Update. Grass Roots Advocacy Jan - Mar, 2009
• Lymphedema Insurance and Legislation Update. New York Bills Oct - Dec, 2008
• Lymphedema Insurance and Legislation Update. State Bills Jul - Sep, 2008
• Lymphedema Insurance and Legislation Update. Apr - Jun, 2008
• Groundbreaking Medicare Appeals Council Decision. Feb 2008
• Lymphedema Insurance and Legislation Update. 75% Rule, Medicare Denials: Jan - Mar, 2008
• Legislation Update. NJ Resolution & NY Lymphedema Bill: Oct - Dec, 2007
• Summary of State Lymphedema Bills. Jul - Sept, 2007
• Therapy Caps Exception Process 2007. Repeal of Caps & Garment Non-Coverage: Apr – Jun, 2007
• Medicare Coverage of Compression Items: Jan - Mar, 2007
• Progress on the Medicare Coverage Front: Oct - Dec, 2006
• 2006 Mid-Year Lymphedema Legislation Update: Jul – Sep 2006
• Lymphedema Legislative Update (As of Feb 15, 2006): Apr – Jun, 2006
• Lymphedema Legislative Summary (As of Nov 22, 2005): Jan – Mar, 2006
• Legislative Update State Bills & Resolutions: Apr – Jun 2005
• Lymphedema Legislative Summary May 2004 Federal & State Bills: Jul - Sep 2004

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Lymphedema Insurance & Legislation Update: July-August 2008

 By Robert (Bob) Weiss, MS, LE Legislative Advocate

Lymphedema-related bills are winding their ways through the committee structures of a handful of states with little progress since my last report of a year ago (Lymph Link Vol. 19, No. 3, July-September 2007 pages 6, 27). Most of the bills in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts were re-introduced in the 2008 legislative sessions and sent to committee early in the year. The bill HB1011 Buckner for a pilot lymphedema program in Georgia and AB-213 Liu of California died in committee and were not re-introduced this year.

There was a public meeting on Connecticut HB 5691 Nardello on March 4, 2008. This bill for compression therapy supplies resides in the Joint Committee on Insurance and Real Estate. The Massachusetts comprehensive lymphedema treatment bill S.584 Fargo was referred to the Joint Committee on Financial Services for study, and was reported out and referred to the Senate Ethics and Rules Committee on April 24 while S.1327 Spilka was not so lucky, and never emerged from the Joint Committee on Public Health.

But it was in New York State that we found some forward action this year. All five bill-pairs from last session (comprehensive lymphedema diagnosis, treatment and patient protection; research grants; research and education fund; registry; reporting and investigation and patient informed consent) were re-introduced for the 2008 session, as was the diagnosis, treatment and compression sleeve bill A02823 Kolb. And as we go to press a 12th lymphedema bill for lymphedema treatment aids and devices was introduced in the Senate, S07950 LaValle.

We got a big boost on April 8 when the New York State Breast Cancer Network (NYSBCN) featured the comprehensive Health Insurance Coverage for Lymphedema bills A07077A Maisel and S01544 Fuschillo in their Tenth Annual New York State Advocacy Day. Each year this statewide network of community-based, survivor-driven breast cancer organizations conducts a day when volunteer advocates meet their legislators in Albany to educate them on important issues affecting the breast cancer community. I flew to Albany to brief advocates on the lymphedema treatment bills and to meet with some of the sponsors and key committee chairs on the cost-efficacy of lymphedema treatment.

Robert "Bob" Weiss, M.S.
NLN LE Legislative Advocate

 

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