A bipartisan bill is setting out to safeguard daily access to testing supplies for diabetic Medicare beneficiaries.

U.S. Rep. Tom Reed is teaming up with U.S. Reps. Susan Brooks, R-Ind., and Diana DeGette, D-Colo., on a bill that would strengthen protections for Medicare beneficiaries who buy blood glucose testing supplies through the National Mail Order Competitive Bidding program. The legislation, known as the Protecting Access to Diabetes Supplies Act, was introduced in the House on Monday.

Through the establishment of the Medicare Competitive Bidding Program, Congress and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services included rules that ensure seniors would continue to have access to blood glucose testing systems of their choice.

Reed, who co-chairs the Congressional Diabetes Caucus, said lawmakers must ensure that diabetic seniors have access to quality health care supplies.

“Working across the aisle to deliver access to those who rely on test strips is a top priority for me,” Reed said. “The protections will ensure Medicaid patients have a choice when it comes to finding supplies that best fit the needs of their individual medical conditions.”

DeGette is the other co-chair for the Diabetes Caucus. At a time when Medicare and American health care are topics of contentious discussions in Washington, D.C., she said the bipartisan effort is something “everyone can support.”

“Diabetic patients often rely on test strips to read glucose levels accurately and dose medication appropriately,” she said. “By making sure seniors can get test strips that work, this bill will deliver better health outcomes for millions of Medicare beneficiaries.”

The bill would also strengthen the enforcement of current law requiring suppliers in the bidding program to include at least 50 percent of the types of test systems on the market before the bidding program’s implementation. It would also bolster consumer protections that prohibit suppliers from encouraging beneficiaries to switch from one testing system to another, and ensure that seniors are fully aware of their rights to receive test strips that meet their needs.

Legislation was referred to the Energy and Commerce committee as well as the Ways and Means Committee, of which Reed is a member.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 11 million Americans age 65 and older have diabetes — nearly 26 percent of the Medicare population.