STUDY ON PREVENTIVE AND ENHANCED BENEFITS.

SEC. 4108. STUDY ON PREVENTIVE AND ENHANCED BENEFITS. (a) Study.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall request the National Academy of Sciences, and as appropriate in conjunction with the United States Preventive Services Task Force, to analyze the expansion or modification of preventive or other benefits provided to medicare beneficiaries under title XVIII of the Social Security Act. The analysis shall consider both the short term and long term benefits, and costs to the medicare program, of such expansion or modification. (b) Report.— (1) Initial report.—Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit a report on the findings of the analysis conducted under subsection (a) to the Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee on Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate. (2) Contents.—Such report shall include specific findings with respect to coverage of at least the following benefits: (A) Nutrition therapy services, including parenteral and enteral nutrition and including the provision of such services by a registered dietitian. (B) Skin cancer screening. (C) Medically necessary dental care. (D) Routine patient care costs for beneficiaries enrolled in approved clinical trial programs. (E) Elimination of time limitation for coverage of immunosuppressive drugs for transplant patients. (3) Funding.—From funds appropriated to the Department of Health and Human Services for fiscal years 1998 and 1999, the Secretary shall provide for such funding as the Secretary determines necessary for the conduct of the study by the National Academy of Sciences under this section.