Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

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Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation with my fellow co-chair of the Senate Diabetes Caucus, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, which would improve access to innovative diabetes technologies. Our bill, the Improving Medicare Beneficiary Access to Innovative Diabetes Technologies Act, would create a special task force at the Department of Health and Human Services to examine and address barriers that seniors face in accessing the latest diabetes management technologies.

Since I founded the bipartisan Senate Diabetes Caucus in 1997 Federal funding for diabetes research has tripled from $319 million to more than $1 billion last year, and these research dollars are yielding results. This past summer, the Aging Committee held a hearing in conjunction with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Children's Congress titled ``Redefining Reality: How the Special Diabetes Program is Changing the Lives of Americans with Type 1 Diabetes.'' We heard compelling testimony from Dr. Griffin P. Rodgers, Director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, and JDRF President and CEO Dr. Aaron Kowalski on the pipeline from private- public research to commercially available products.

New diabetes technologies--such as the artificial pancreas and implantable continuous glucose monitoring systems--allow diabetes patients to better manage and improve glycemic control, assess needed therapy on a timely basis, and adhere to treatment regimens. These technological advances make diabetes easier to manage. The market arrival of cutting-edge diabetes technologies, however, does not immediately benefit patients if our nation's seniors are unable to afford them.

As Chairman of the Aging Committee, I have heard from numerous seniors who, when transitioning from employer-provided insurance to Medicare, were shocked to learn that the technologies they have relied upon for years to manage their diabetes are no longer covered. For example, one Mainer was unfortunately met with the reality that Medicare's coverage denial of a particular sensor he needs for his insulin pump means paying up to $8,000 out-of-pocket each year if he wants to continue with his current treatment regimen. 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 couldn't agree more. To better support 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 who are making coverage decisions--to the same table. The Task Force would identify and plan for changes in Medicare coverage and payment policies to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries have access to innovative diabetes technologies 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 my past advocacy with Senator Shaheen to improve the day-to-day life of individuals with diabetes by improving coverage of innovative diabetes technologies. In January 2017, in response to our bipartisan effort, CMS first approved the use of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs). We also successfully urged CMS last year to support the use of smartphone apps in conjunction with CGMs. These proven, lifesaving devices are relied upon by people with diabetes to provide them with real-time measurements of their glucose levels. This information is key to preventing costly--and sometimes deadly--diabetes complications.

While I am pleased our advocacy has helped spur these policy changes, I remain frustrated with the pace at which Medicare lags behind commercial insurers. Greater adoption of new diabetes technologies can literally change our country's future with regard to addressing the explosive growth in the financial and human tolls of diabetes. Diabetes accounts for an exorbitant one in three dollars in Medicare spending. It is paramount that we encourage HHS to adopt a more cost-effective 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 technology coverage and payment, and I encourage my colleagues to support its adoption.

Thank you, Mr. President.

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