Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., proposed legislation that would create a dedicated task force within the HHS to address the barriers senior citizens face in accessing diabetes management technology, NBC affiliate News Center Maine reports.
Under the Improving Medicare Beneficiary Access to Innovative Diabetes Technologies Act, the Special Task Force on Coverage and Payment for Innovative Diabetes Technologies and Services would issue annual reports providing specific recommendations for HHS and CMS to improve diabetes coverage.
"This will help ensure that outdated coverage criteria does not impede access to technologies that will improve care and reduce costs to the healthcare system as a whole," said Ms. Collins, per News Center Maine.
Ms. Collins and Ms. Shaheen, co-chairs of the Senate Diabetes Caucus, have jointly introduced several other pieces of legislation related to improving diabetes patients' access to care; earlier this year, for example, they reintroduced a bill to expand access to diabetes self-management training.