Schakowsky Applauds the Advancement of the Lymphedema Treatment Act
WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, a Senior Chief Deputy Whip and Chair of the Energy and Commerce Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee, cheered the passage of her Lymphedema Treatment Act (H.R. 3630) out of the full Energy and Commerce Committee. The bipartisan and bicameral legislation was reintroduced alongside Representatives Buddy Carter (R-GA), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), and Mike Kelly (R-PA) in June 2021 with 147 original cosponsors. Today, H.R. 3630 has 356 cosponsors, making it one of the most widely supported health care bills in the 117th Congress. The Lymphedema Treatment Act would ensure Medicare Part B coverage of doctor-prescribed compression garments, the clinically recognized treatment for lymphedema.
"I have seen Lymphedema in constituents and friends, so I know that it can be painful and costly to treat," said Congresswoman Schakowsky. "Two-thirds of all Lymphedema cases start from cancer and cancer treatments. There is also no cure for Lymphedema. People living with the disease need medical compression garments to treat the painful swelling. My bill, The Lymphedema Treatment Act, will finally close the gap in Medicare coverage for people living with Lymphedema to cover these essential compression garments. I want to thank Chairman Frank Pallone, Ranking Member Cathy McMorris-Rodgers, the tireless advocates, the stakeholders, and all of the Members on both sides of the aisle for their support! I look forward to seeing the bill come to the Floor and passed out of the House."
"Lymphedema patients have been denied this coverage for far too long. After battling cancer, survivors can be met with this equally debilitating diagnosis, but with far fewer resources in place to assist them," said Congressman Carter. "As a pharmacist and a child of a cancer survivor, I've seen the pain that Lymphedema can cause. To those patients – help is on the way."
Lymphedema is a chronic, progressive group of conditions characterized by swelling and discomfort in various parts of the body due to malfunctions in the lymphatic system. Between 1.5 and 3 million Medicare beneficiaries currently suffer from lymphedema. Patients undergoing treatment for cancer are particularly susceptible to lymphedema. When left untreated or undertreated, lymphedema can lead to complications, infections, comorbidities, loss of function, and disability—often necessitating costly emergency department or hospital visits. Commercial insurance and state Medicaid programs currently cover compression therapy.
The Lymphedema Treatment Act enjoys strong support from a broad coalition of patient advocacy, provider, and industry groups, including the Lymphedema Advocacy Group; the American Cancer Society; the American Medical Association; the Lymphatic Education and Research Network; 3M; the Oncology Nursing Society; the American Physical Therapy Association; the American Occupational Therapy Association; American Academy of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation; American Association of Nurse Practitioners; American Lymphedema Framework Project; American Nurses Association; Breast Cancer Action; Cancer Legal Care; Disability Rights Legal Center; Greet The Day; LIVESTRONG; Lighthouse Lymphedema Network; Living Beyond Breast Cancer; Lipedema Foundation; Lymphology Association of North America; National Comprehensive Cancer Network; National Lymphedema Network; National Patient Advocate Foundation; Northwest Lymphedema Center; Ovarian Cancer National Alliance; Society for Gynecologic Oncology; Society for Vascular Nursing; Susan G. Komen; Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society; Ackerman Cancer Center; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Boston Children's Hospital, Vascular Anomalies Center; Essentially Women, a division of VGM Group, Inc.; EveryLife Foundation for Rare Diseases; James Cancer Hospital & Solove Research Institute at The Ohio State University; Moffitt Cancer Center; Penn Medicine Cancer Rehabilitation; Phelan McDermid Syndrome Foundation; Seattle Cancer Care Alliance; UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center; and, the University of Vermont Cancer Center.
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