Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolution

Floor Speech

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Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr President, I come to the floor today to join my colleague Senator Collins from Maine, who will be here shortly, who is also my cochair of the Diabetes Caucus, to reintroduce the Improving Medicare Beneficiary Access to Innovative Diabetes Technologies Act. This is legislation that would establish a task force to provide recommendations to help guide Medicare's decisions on coverage and payment for new technologies to improve the lives of people with diabetes.

I have had the opportunity to see the challenges that families with members who have type 1 diabetes face. My granddaughter, my oldest granddaughter, has type 1 diabetes, and I know the challenges her family faces navigating a complex web of insurance coverage rules for technologies. Anytime a new technology comes out that would benefit her, to get the insurance companies to adopt those technologies is a huge challenge, and it requires hours of phone time with the insurance company, trying to persuade them that they should provide the coverage.

Well, we know that these insurance companies often base their coverage and reimbursement rules on Medicare. That is why it is so important for the Medicare Program to keep pace with the development of new diabetes technologies and devices.

I appreciate the opportunity to work with Senator Collins on a regular basis in the Diabetes Caucus. In 2017, we were successful in pressing Medicare to cover continuous glucose monitors, something that seems like an obvious choice given the difference that those CGMs can make for people who have diabetes and ensuring that their blood sugar stays stable. We have also worked together to ensure that Medicare provides flexibility so that patients can use smartphone apps with their continuous glucose monitors.

In the years to come, we need Medicare to make progress toward covering the artificial pancreas, a landmark development that will be the most significant change for people with diabetes since insulin was discovered, but to do this, we shouldn't have to resign ourselves to this piecemeal approach to Medicare coverage that requires continual pressure from Congress and advocates.

We need an independent body, like the one that is identified in our legislation, to help provide recommendations to Medicare so that its coverage of new technologies can adapt more quickly as innovation advances. That is why I am proud to be here on the floor and proud to join Senator Collins in reintroducing this bill. I hope my colleagues will take a look at it, decide that it merits passage, and work with us to get that done.

My colleague has arrived on the floor.

Senator Collins, I was just saying that I was very proud to be able to join you in reintroducing this legislation, and hopefully this session, we will be able to get it done. Thank you for your leadership, and I look forward to hearing your comments and to working to get this passed.

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