WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Shelley Moore
Capito (R-W.Va), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) reintroduced
bipartisan legislation today to improve access to care for seniors and people
living with disabilities who struggle with eating disorders.
While not often discussed, according to estimates, eating
disorders affect 3-4 percent of the senior population. Eating disorders also
affect 6 percent of females and 3 percent of males who experience disabilities.
The bipartisan Nutrition CARE Act would expand access to medical care for
Medicare beneficiaries with eating disorders by including coverage of
outpatient medical nutrition therapy through Medicare Part B, which will
provide patients with a more comprehensive, specialized approach to combating
eating disorders than what is currently offered under Medicare.
“It is important to remember that eating disorders can impact
anyone at any age, including our seniors," Senator Capito said. “This legislation would ensure all of those struggling with eating disorders
can receive the proper, targeted treatment they need to address the challenges
they are facing.”
The bipartisan Nutrition CARE Act would allow
registered physicians, dieticians, nutrition specialists, and mental health
professionals to provide medical nutrition therapy services to Medicare
beneficiaries. Currently, Medicare beneficiaries struggling with an eating
disorder can only access psychiatric, therapy, and medical services. The expanded
services would include 13 hours of medical nutrition therapy, including a one
hour initial assessment and 12 hours of reassessment and intervention, during
the first year that the beneficiary begins receiving services. The beneficiary
would then be able to access four hours of medical nutrition therapy services
during each subsequent year.
Read the text of the legislation here.
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