I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 6445 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve coverage of 

audiology services under the Medicare program, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 17, 2023 

Mr. BILIRAKIS (for himself, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio, Ms. 

SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. MACE, Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER, Mr. FITZPATRICK, 

Mr. TRONE, Mr. WEBSTER of Florida, Mr. COHEN, Mr. LAMALFA, Mr. 

GRIJALVA, Mr. FOSTER, and Mr. POCAN) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in 

addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 

provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve 

coverage of audiology services under the Medicare program, 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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Medicare Audiology 

5 Access Improvement Act of 2023’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. COVERAGE OF AUDIOLOGY SERVICES UNDER THE 

2 MEDICARE PROGRAM. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1861(s)(2) of the Social 

4 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(s)(2)) is amended— 

5 (1) in subparagraph (JJ), by striking the semi6 colon at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

7 (2) by adding at the end the following new sub8 paragraph: 

9 ‘‘(KK) audiology services (as defined in sub10 section (ll)(3));’’; and 

11 (b) IMPROVED ACCESS TO AUDIOLOGY SERVICES.— 

12 Paragraph (3) of section 1861(ll) of the Social Security 

13 Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(ll)) is amended to read as follows: 

14 ‘‘(3) The term ‘audiology services’ means such hear15 ing and balance assessment services furnished on or before 

16 December 31, 2024, and beginning January 1, 2025, such 

17 diagnostic or treatment services furnished by a qualified 

18 audiologist which the qualified audiologist is legally au19 thorized to perform under State law (or the regulatory 

20 mechanism provided by State law), as would otherwise be 

21 covered if furnished by a physician or as incident to a phy22 sician’s service. A qualified audiologist shall be permitted 

23 to furnish such audiology services without regard to any 

24 requirement that the individual receiving such audiology 

25 services is under the care of (or referred by) a physician 

26 or other health care practitioner or that such services are 


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1 furnished under the supervision of a physician or other 

2 health care practitioner.’’. 

3 (c) PAYMENT AMOUNT AND COINSURANCE.—Section 

4 1833(a)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

5 1395l(a)(1)) is amended— 

6 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ before (HH); and 

7 (2) by inserting the following before the semi8 colon: ‘‘and (II) with respect to audiology services 

9 furnished under section 1861(s)(2)(KK), the 

10 amounts paid shall be 80 percent of the lesser of the 

11 actual charge for the services or the fee schedule 

12 amount provided under section 1848’’. 

13 (d) PAYMENT ON ASSIGNMENT-RELATED BASIS.— 

14 Section 1842(b)(18)(C) of the Social Security Act (42 

15 U.S.C. 1395u(b)(18)(C)) is amended by adding at the end 

16 the following new clause: 

17 ‘‘(ix) A qualified audiologist (as de18 fined in section 1861(ll)(4)(B)).’’. 

19 (e) INCLUSION OF QUALIFIED AUDIOLOGISTS AS

20 RHC AND FQHC PRACTITIONERS.—Section 

21 1861(aa)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

22 1395x(aa)(1)(B)) is amended by inserting ‘‘by a qualified 

23 audiologist (as defined in subsection (ll)(4)(B)),’’ after 

24 ‘‘(as defined in subsection (hh)(1)),’’. 


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1 (f) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in the 

2 amendments made by this section shall be construed to 

3 expand the scope of audiologist services or services for 

4 which payment may be made to other providers under title 

5 XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) 

6 beyond those services for which such payment may be 

7 made as of December 31, 2024. 

8 (g) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

9 this section shall apply to items and services furnished on 

10 or after January 1, 2025. 

Æ 


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