Boxing Therapy for Parkinson’s Access Act of 2023

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1402 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1402

   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to provide coverage for boxing-based exercise classes 
 for veterans diagnosed with certain movement disorders, and for other 
                               purposes.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 7, 2023

  Mr. Higgins of New York (for himself and Mr. LaHood) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' 
                                Affairs

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                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of 
Veterans Affairs to provide coverage for boxing-based exercise classes 
 for veterans diagnosed with certain movement disorders, and for other 
                               purposes.

    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 ``Boxing Therapy for Parkinson's 
Access Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. BOXING-BASED EXERCISE CLASSES FOR TREATMENT OF VETERANS 
              DIAGNOSED WITH CERTAIN MOVEMENT DISORDERS.

    (a) Coverage.--Subchapter II of chapter 17 of title 38, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section 
(and conforming the table of sections at the beginning of such chapter 
accordingly):
``Sec. 1720K. Boxing-based exercise classes for treatment of certain 
              movement disorders
    ``(a) Classes.--In furnishing medical services under this chapter, 
the Secretary shall furnish boxing-based exercise classes to a veteran 
(through the provision of such classes to the veteran at a medical 
facility of the Department or the reimbursement for such classes 
provided to the veteran at a non-Department facility) if the veteran--
            ``(1) is enrolled in the health care system established 
        under section 1705(a) of this title;
            ``(2) has been diagnosed with a covered movement disorder; 
        and
            ``(3) elects to participate in such classes for the purpose 
        of treating the covered movement disorder with which the 
        veteran has been diagnosed.
    ``(b) Covered Movement Disorder Defined.--In this section, the term 
`covered movement disorder' means Parkinson's disease or a similar 
movement disorder.''.
    (b) Applicability.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
apply with respect to medical services furnished on or after the date 
that is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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