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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: Jul - Sept, 2009

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

Status as of May 25, 2009

New York State

Two lymphedema bills are currently active in New York State-A05320 Maisel/S00629 Fuschillo. The content of these bills was described in the last issue of LymphLink. The Assembly bill A05320 passed the Assembly on May 11 and was sent to the Senate Health Committee, where its Senate twin S00629 resides. The bill sent through two readings on May 19 and 20. There are nine other LE bills in various committees, including the important LE comprehensive diagnosis and treatment bill-pair A05324 Maisel/S04775 Fuschillo-none of which appear to be headed out of committee to be voted on this session. NY bill A05320 Maisel was unanimously approved by the Assembly on May 13 and goes on to the Senate.

North Carolina

The new bright spot in the lymphedema legislative world is the Health Insurance Coverage/Lymphedema House Bill 535 introduced in the North Carolina House by Assemblywoman Trish Cotham. This bill with four Primary Sponsors and 27 Co-Sponsors passed favorably the Committees on Health and Insurance and was passed by the full House on May 14 by a vote of 107 to 9. This bill is an example of how an individual can make a difference. Heather Furgeson, mother of a three-year old with lymphedema, has been conducting a one-woman campaign with Assemblywoman Cotham to get this bill passed. The bill was sent to the Senate Commerce Committee on May 19.

Massachusetts

There is one lymphedema bill active in Massachusetts that is a combination of the two bills which were active in the 2004-2008 sessions.

State Senator Karen Spilka has reintroduced her WHCRA conformance bill that adds the coverage of lymphedema as a sequela of mastectomy and breast reconstruction. The bill, called the "Women's Health and Cancer Recovery Act," adds coverage for treatment of LE from all causes, specifically "coverage which includes benefits for equipment, supplies, complex decongestive therapy, and outpatient self-management training and education for the treatment of lymphedema, if prescribed by a health care professional legally authorized to prescribe or provide such items under law."

Senator Susan Fargo, who has had comprehensive lymphedema diagnosis, treatment and patient protection bills in the Massachusetts Senate since 2004 has not re-introduced her bill this session, possibly because of her new position as Chair of the Joint Committee on Public Health.

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

 

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