Americas Health Future Act of 2009 Recognizes CDEs as Providers- How about Pharmacists!

On September 16th, 2009, Chairman Baucas’s Senate Finance Committee released the proposed America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009. It's 223 pages and is going to make every American personally responsible to purchase health care insurance by 2013 then report it to the IRS.
Now, that’s the big picture but “in the weeds”, on page 113, is where my eyebrows raised. It proposes that Certified Diabetes Educators (CDEs) be recognized as providers. Here is the rational.
Current Law
Medicare covers diabetes self-management training (DMST) under certain conditions to help a beneficiary learn how to successfully manage their diabetes. The training must be prescribed by a physician or qualified non-physician practitioner. When Congress passed the DMST benefit in 1997, it did not include CDEs as providers. However, most CDEs worked in hospital outpatient clinics where diabetes education and care is generally provided.
Chairman’s Mark
The Chairman‘s Mark would provide for the recognition of state- licensed or registered health care professionals who are certified diabetes educators as Medicare providers of diabetes outpatient self-management training services. CDEs would still provide DSMT services according to physician referral, but they would be able to provide such services in appropriate, non-hospital locations to meet current needs.
I commend Senator Baucus for recognizing hard working CDEs as providers but how about licensed pharmacists?
Pharmacists have individual NPI numbers also, nonetheless billing Medicare for DSME/T services must be done through the PHARMACY because the business owns the Part B supplier number. Even though the new AADE Diabetes Education Accreditation Program (DEAP) will allow the pharmacy to bill, CMS currently does not allow pharmacists to bill them directly for any services. Two examples include immunizations which must be billed through a DMEPOS supplier number and MTMs which can only be billed through Part D sponsors.

Pharmacists are licensed and heavily regulated professionals. They maintain professional and product liability insurance. Patients can petition State Boards of Pharmacy is service levels are unsatisfactory. It’s the pharmacist NOT the pharmacy undergoing AADE DEAP training to provide DSME/T. In addition many are already facility accredited to provide DMEPOS (glucose meters)

NCPA continues to pursue CMS to recognize pharmacists as legitimate, qualified providers for cognitive service and encourages CDEs, pharmacists, dieticians and other appropriate professionals to work collectively to provide convenient access to DSME/T in communities.
To see all 223 pages of Baucas’s America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009 click here (http://finance.senate.gov/sitepages/leg/LEG%202009/091609%20Americas_Healthy_Future_Act.pdf)