II 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2575 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for treatment 

of audiologists as physicians for purposes of furnishing audiology services 

under the Medicare program, to improve access to the audiology services 

available for coverage under the Medicare program and to enable beneficiaries to have their choice of a qualified audiologist to provide such 

services, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 20, 2018 

Ms. WARREN (for herself and Mr. PAUL) introduced the following bill; which 

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance 

A BILL 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide 

for treatment of audiologists as physicians for purposes 

of furnishing audiology services under the Medicare program, to improve access to the audiology services available for coverage under the Medicare program and to 

enable beneficiaries to have their choice of a qualified 

audiologist to provide such services, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Audiology Patient 

3 Choice Act of 2018’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

5 Congress finds the following: 

6 (1) Hearing loss is the third most common 

7 chronic physical condition for Americans over 65, 

8 behind only arthritis and high blood pressure. 

9 (2) Individuals with mild hearing loss are three 

10 times more likely to experience a fall and falls are 

11 the leading cause of injury and deaths from injury 

12 for Americans over 65. 

13 (3) Untreated hearing and balance problems 

14 contribute to and are highly correlated with depres15 sion and social isolation. 

16 (4) Seniors with hearing loss run a much higher 

17 risk of cognitive problems and experience cognitive 

18 decline up to 40 percent faster than those with nor19 mal hearing. 

20 (5) Medicare beneficiaries should have access to 

21 the same level of audiologic care as is available in 

22 the Veterans’ Administration, under the Federal 

23 Employees Health Benefits Program, and under pri24 vate insurance. 

25 (6) The Medicare program needs to be updated 

26 in a comprehensive way so Medicare beneficiaries 


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1 are able to have access to all of the advancements 

2 in the delivery of audiologic care. 

3 SEC. 3. IMPROVED MEDICARE COVERAGE OF AUDIOLOGY 

4 SERVICES. 

5 (a) TREATMENT OF AUDIOLOGISTS AS PHYSICIANS

6 FOR PURPOSES OF FURNISHING AUDIOLOGY SERVICES.— 

7 The first sentence of section 1861(r) of the Social Security 

8 Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(r)) is amended— 

9 (1) by striking ‘‘or’’ before ‘‘(5)’’; and 

10 (2) by inserting before the period the following: 

11 ‘‘, or (6) a qualified audiologist, but only with re12 spect to the furnishing of audiology services de13 scribed in subsection (ll)(3) for which the qualified 

14 audiologist is legally authorized to perform by the 

15 State and who is acting within the scope of the audi16 ologist’s license (or other authorization under State 

17 law)’’. 

18 (b) IMPROVED ACCESS TO AUDIOLOGY SERVICES

19 AVAILABLE FOR COVERAGE UNDER THE MEDICARE PRO20 GRAM AND ENABLING MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES TO

21 HAVE THEIR CHOICE OF QUALIFIED AUDIOLOGIST.— 

22 Section 1861(ll)(3) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

23 1395x(ll)(3)) is amended— 

24 (1) by striking ‘‘hearing and balance assess25 ment’’; 


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1 (2) by striking ‘‘, as would otherwise be covered 

2 if furnished by a physician’’; and 

3 (3) by inserting before the period at the end the 

4 following: ‘‘, without regard to any requirement that 

5 the individual receiving the audiology services be 

6 under the care of (or referred by) a physician or 

7 other health care practitioner or that such services 

8 are provided under the supervision of a physician or 

9 other health care practitioner’’. 

10 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

11 this section shall apply to items and services furnished on 

12 or after January 1 of the first year beginning more than 

13 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

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