Rogers / 5 Senator Chari

S.B._____

A BILL
To mandate that all health insurance providers cover nutrition counseling by registered dieticians.
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE
This act may be cited as the Nutrition Counseling Act of 2015.
SECTION 2. FINDINGS
Congress hereby finds and declares that,
1) An obese person is generally defined as someone who weighs 35 pounds or more over a healthy weight, with a
body mass index (BMI) of at least 30.
2) Obesity remains a national problem, with more than 30 percent of adults currently considered obese.
3) The adult obesity rate in every state is above 20 percent.
4) The 10 states with the highest adult obesity rates are all in the South and Midwest.
5) Rates of obesity exceed 35 percent in three states (Arkansas, West Virginia, Mississippi).
6) Among obese adults, female obesity rates are higher than male obesity rates.
7) Obese adults are at increased risk for many diseases and health conditions, including high blood pressure, high
cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and stroke, and osteoarthritis; obesity has also been linked to many forms of
cancer.
8) In the U.S., among adults under the age of 70, obesity is second only to tobacco in the number of deaths it causes
each year.
9) The American Medical Association recognizes obesity itself as a disease.
10) Overall healthcare spending on obesity continues to burden the nation with estimated expenditures as high as
$190 billion.
11) An obese person averages about $1,400 more in medical bills each year when compared to a person of normal
weight.
12) Other costs of obesity include lost days of work and higher employer insurance premiums.
13) Obesity poses a national security challenge, as it has become one of the most common disqualifiers for military
service, affecting 25 percent of those who apply.
14) Surveys have found that many consumers do not know enough about the role that food plays in health.
15) A healthful diet reduces the risk of obesity.
16) Nationally, about 38 percent of adults consume fruits less than one time a day, and 23 percent consume
vegetables less than one time a day.
17) The state of Mississippi had the lowest rate of fruit and vegetable consumption in the United States with 50.8%
of adults consuming fruits less than once daily and 32.3 percent consuming vegetables less than once daily.
18) Each American today eats an average of 195 lbs of meat each year, compared to 138 lbs in the 1950s.
19) Rising consumption of sugary drinks has been a major contributor to the obesity epidemic.
20) Patients are more likely to follow a weight loss routine when guided by a registered dietician.
SECTION 3. STATUTORY LANGUAGE
A) All private health insurance issuers, as well as public programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, offering group or
individual health insurance coverage shall cover medical nutrition therapy by registered dieticians with no patient
cost-sharing requirements, including co-payments or deductibles.
B) The law shall be enforced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The Center for
Consumer Information & Insurance Oversight (CCIIO) will monitor implementation by working closely with
insurers, consumers, and state regulators. Funding will come directly from the annual budget allotted by Congress for
the HHS.
C) Consequences of noncompliance are subject to HHS penalties and taxes imposed by Section 4980D of the Internal
Revenue Code. The law shall go into effect for all plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2015.