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This bill would make speech generating devices (SGDs) more accessible by changing how Medicare covers and pays for devices when patients need them. Eye tracking and gaze interaction accessories for speech generating devices under this bill would be considered durable medical equipment under Medicare for people with a demonstrated medical need for them.

Payments for these devices could be made on a rental basis or a lump-sum amount. Device costs would be capped if they were issued on or after October 1, 2015 and before October 1, 2019.

","official_title":"A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide Medicare beneficiary access to eye tracking accessories for speech generating devices and to remove the rental cap for durable medical equipment under the Medicare Program with respect to speech generating devices.","short_title":"Steve Gleason Act of 2015","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the Senate passed version is repeated here.)\n\nSteve Gleason Act of 2015\n\n(Sec. 2) This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to cover as durable medical equipment any eye tracking and gaze interaction accessories for speech generating devices furnished to individuals with a demonstrated medical need for them.\n\n(Sec. 3) Payment for speech generating devices or accessories shall be made on a rental basis, or in a lump-sum amount for the purchase of the item, without a cap on the amount in the case of devices furnished on or after October 1, 2015, and before October 1, 2018.","summarized":true,"cost":30000000,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate found that this bill would increase deficits by about $30 million over the 2015-2025 period, which is about $2.7 million per year.","impact":"People who would benefit from using SGDs, health insurance companies, and Medicare.","argument_for":"Making these devices more accessible would improve the ability of people suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and similarly damaging diseases to communicate and live more independent lives.","argument_against":"If this is only going to increase the deficit by about $3 million per year, isn’t there a way that these devices could be provided through the public sector or non-profits so the tab doesn't get put on federal budget?","bill_type":"s","published":true,"type":"FederalBill","id":"s984-114","bill_id":"s984-114","formal_id":"S. 984","chamber":"senate","congress":114,"last_action_at":"2015-07-30T00:00:00.000Z","active":true,"enacted":true,"enacted_at":"2015-07-30","vetoed":false,"last_vote_at":"2015-07-15T20:56:04.000Z","debated_on":null,"congress_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th/senate-bill/984","plain_text_url":"https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-114s984enr/html/BILLS-114s984enr.htm","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/s984-114.png","congress_full_text_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th/senate-bill/984/text","is_current_congress":false,"last_version_on":"2015-04-16","related_bill_ids":["s768-114","hr1919-114","hr628-114"],"progress":"Enacted","house_passage_result":true,"senate_passage_result":true,"position_count":19,"committees":[{"name":"Committee on Energy and Commerce","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSIF","subcommittee":false},{"name":"Health","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSIF14","subcommittee":true},{"name":"Committee on Ways and Means","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSWM","subcommittee":false},{"name":"Health","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSWM02","subcommittee":true}],"links":{"rollCalls":"/api/roll_calls?bill_id=s984-114","details":"/api/bills/s984-114/details","sharingMessage":"/api/sharing_messages/s984-114","positionsFor":"/api/bills/s984-114/positions/for","positionsAgainst":"/api/bills/s984-114/positions/against"},"upcoming":false,"cosponsors_count":6,"slug":"s984-114-steve-gleason-act-of-2015","latest_chamber_votes_id":null,"official_url":null,"target_video":true,"following":false,"vote_count":422,"yea_vote_count":290,"nay_vote_count":130,"passed_house":true,"passed_senate":true,"vote_id":null,"my_position_id":null,"topic_ids":["health"],"issue_ids":["health"],"sponsor_id":527}],"votes":[],"issues":[{"id":"health","name":"Health","slug":"health","description":"Federal legislation around Health, encompassing: the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Research into diseases (Cancer, HIV/Aids, Ebola), Drug safety, Hospital care and prescription drugs.","page_title":"Health Related US Federal legislation, including Medicare, ACA, and research - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/health/black_health-1429042037.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/health/grey_health-1429042037.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/health/white_health-1429042037.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false}],"users":[{"name":"Curmudgeon","vote_count":568,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/Om66wjm1/large_om66wjm1-1438099897.jpg","small":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/Om66wjm1/small_om66wjm1-1438099897.jpg","tiny":"https://assets.causes.com/user/avatar/Om66wjm1/tiny_om66wjm1-1438099897.jpg","facebook":"https://graph.facebook.com/456412557859258/picture"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/Om66wjm1/following","followers":"/api/users/Om66wjm1/followers"},"about_me":"I am 68 years of age and began reading National Review in 1963. 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Do Speech Generating Devices Need to be More Accessible Through Medicare?