Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolution

Floor Speech

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Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, first, let me thank my colleague from New Hampshire, Senator Shaheen, for her extraordinary commitment and leadership as my fellow cochair of the Senate Diabetes Caucus. We are introducing a bill to improve access to innovative diabetes technologies for our seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries. Our bill would create a special task force at the Department of Health and Human Services to examine and resolve barriers that seniors face in accessing the latest diabetes management technologies.

New diabetes technologies, such as the artificial pancreas and implantable continuous glucose monitoring systems, allow those who are living with diabetes to better manage their glycemic levels, assess needed therapy on a timely basis, and adhere better to treatment regimes. These technological advances make diabetes easier to manage and therefore improve the health of people with diabetes.

The market arrival of cutting-edge diabetes technologies is something we all celebrate; however, oftentimes we are finding that patients do not realize the full benefits because many of our Nation's seniors find the new technologies to be difficult or impossible for them to afford.

I have heard from numerous seniors who, when transitioning from employer-provided insurance to Medicare, were shocked to learn that the technologies they had relied upon for years to manage their diabetes are no longer covered because they now have lost their employer- provided insurance, which did cover these technologies, and instead are being covered by Medicare. For example, one Mainer unfortunately had to face the reality that Medicare's coverage denial of a particular sensor that he needed for his insulin pump meant paying up to $8,000 out-of- pocket each year if he wants to continue with his current treatment. He wrote:

Because I am now 65, I am denied care that was available when I was 64.

He continued:

This approach not only puts me at risk but is quite likely not cost effective. While the sensors are expensive, the cost of ambulance calls and hospitalizations . . . is certainly more.

I could not say it better. It makes no sense for this individual, who has aged into the Medicare system, to lose coverage that he had and relied upon and used successfully to control his diabetes.

To better support the adoption of these technologies, our bill would require HHS to create a special task force on coverage and payment for innovative diabetes technologies that would bring all stakeholders-- from patients to device manufacturers, to government officials and healthcare professionals who are making coverage decisions--to the table. The task force would identify and plan for changes in Medicare coverage and payment policies to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries have access to the latest treatments, to the innovations that are currently available, as well as those that are in the pipeline. The task force would also be tasked with developing strategies for supporting adoption of these technologies.

This effort builds on our past advocacy to improve the day-to-day life of individuals with diabetes. In January 2017, in response to the bipartisan effort that Senator Shaheen and I have led, CMS first approved the use of continuous glucose monitors. We also successfully urged CMS last year to support the use of smartphone apps in conjunction with continuous glucose monitors. These are proven lifesaving devices that are relied upon by people with diabetes to provide them with realtime measurements of their glucose levels. This information is key to preventing costly--sometimes deadly--diabetes complications.

While I am pleased that our advocacy has helped spur these policy changes, I remain frustrated that too often Medicare lags behind commercial insurers. Greater adoption of these new diabetes techniques can help address the explosive growth in the financial and human toll of diabetes. Diabetes accounts for an extraordinary one-in-three dollars in Medicare spending. It is paramount that we encourage HHS to adopt a more cost-effective and compassionate approach to treating this chronic disease that affects more than 30 million Americans.

The Improving Medicare Beneficiary Access to Innovative Diabetes Technologies Act encourages a proactive approach to diabetes coverage and payment. I encourage my colleagues to support our efforts.

Again, thanks to my partner Senator Shaheen for her leadership in this area.

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