1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Medicare Demonstration of Coverage for Low Vision Devices Act of 2017 . 2. Demonstration project on Medicare coverage of low vision devices as durable medical equipment (a) Establishment of demonstration project (1) In general Beginning not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this section referred to as the Secretary ) shall commence a project (in this section referred to as the demonstration project ) to demonstrate and evaluate the fiscal impact of covering low vision devices (including subsets of such devices) under part B of title XVIII of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395j et seq.) in the same or similar manner as coverage is provided for durable medical equipment under such part. (2) Low vision device defined In this section, the term low vision device means a device, prescribed by a physician, that magnifies, enhances, or otherwise augments or interprets visual images irrespective of the size, form, or technological features of such device and does not include ordinary eyeglasses or contact lenses. In the previous sentence, the term ordinary eyeglasses or contact lenses means lenses that are intended to fully correct visual acuity or fully eliminate refractive error. (b) Project details (1) Eligible participants An individual enrolled under such part is eligible to participate in the demonstration project if an ophthalmologist or optometrist, after a clinical evaluation, has determined and certifies through a prescription that furnishing a low vision device to the individual is medically necessary. (2) National scope and duration The demonstration project shall be national in scope and shall be conducted for a period of 5 years. (3) Project design The Secretary shall design the demonstration project in a manner so as to provide a rich, well-structured, and defined data set from which inferences about the fiscal impact on the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund under