Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Medicare Hearing Act 
of 2019’’. 
SEC. 2. PROVIDING COVERAGE FOR HEARING CARE UNDER 
THE MEDICARE PROGRAM. 
(a) PROVISION
OF
AURAL
REHABILITATION
AND 
TREATMENT SERVICES BY QUALIFIED AUDIOLOGISTS.— 
Section 1861(ll)(3) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395x(ll)(3)) is amended by inserting ‘‘(and, beginning 
January 1, 2022, such aural rehabilitation and treatment 
services)’’ after ‘‘assessment services’’. 
(b) COVERAGE OF HEARING AIDS.— 
(1) INCLUSION
OF
HEARING
AIDS
AS
PROS-
THETIC DEVICES.—Section 1861(s)(8) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(s)(8)) is amended by 
inserting ‘‘, and including hearing aids furnished on 
or after January 1, 2022, to individuals diagnosed 
with profound or severe hearing loss’’ before the semi-
colon at the end. 
(2) 
PAYMENT
LIMITATIONS
FOR
HEARING 
AIDS.—Section 1834(h) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395m(h)) is amended by adding at the end 
the following new paragraph: 
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‘‘(6) LIMITATIONS
FOR
HEARING
AIDS.—Pay-
ment may be made under this part with respect to an 
individual, with respect to hearing aids furnished on 
or after January 1, 2022— 
‘‘(A) not more than once during any 5-year 
period; 
‘‘(B) only for types of such hearing aids 
that are not over-the-counter hearing aids (as de-
fined in section 520(q)(1) of the Federal Food, 
Drug, and Cosmetic Act) and that are deter-
mined appropriate by the Secretary; and 
‘‘(C) only if furnished pursuant to a writ-
ten order of a physician or qualified audiologist 
(as defined in section 1861(ll)(4)(B)).’’. 
(3) APPLICATION
OF
COMPETITIVE
ACQUISI-
TION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Section 1834(h)(1)(H) of 
the 
Social 
Security 
Act 
(42 
U.S.C. 
1395m(h)(1)(H)) is amended— 
(i) in the header, by inserting ‘‘AND 
HEARING AIDS’’ before the semicolon; 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘and of hearing aids 
described in paragraph (2)(D) of such sec-
tion,’’ after ‘‘2009,’’; and 
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(iii) in clause (i), by inserting ‘‘or 
such hearing aids’’ after ‘‘such orthotics’’. 
(B) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.— 
(i) IN GENERAL.—Section 1847(a)(2) 
of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395w–3(a)(2)) is amended by adding at 
the end the following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(D) HEARING
AIDS.—Hearing aids for 
which payment would otherwise be made under 
section 1834(h).’’. 
(ii) EXEMPTION
OF
CERTAIN
ITEMS 
FROM COMPETITIVE ACQUISITION.—Section 
1847(a)(7) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395w–3(a)(7)) is amended by add-
ing at the end the following new subpara-
graph: 
‘‘(C) CERTAIN HEARING AIDS.—Those items 
and services described in paragraph (2)(D) if 
furnished by a physician or other practitioner 
(as defined by the Secretary) to the physician’s 
or practitioner’s own patients as part of the phy-
sician’s or practitioner’s professional service.’’. 
(4) INCLUSION
OF
AUDIOLOGISTS
AS
CERTAIN 
PRACTITIONERS TO RECEIVE PAYMENT ON AN ASSIGN-
MENT-RELATED BASIS.—Section 1842(b)(18)(C) of the 
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Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395u(b)(18)(C)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new 
clause: 
‘‘(vii) With respect to 2022 and each 
subsequent year, a qualified audiologist (as 
defined in section 1861(ll)(4)(B)).’’. 
(c) EXCLUSION MODIFICATION.—Section 1862(a)(7) of 
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395y(a)(7)) is amended 
by inserting ‘‘(except such hearing aids or examinations as 
described 
in 
and 
otherwise 
allowed 
under 
section 
1861(s)(8))’’ after ‘‘hearing aids or examinations therefor’’. 
SEC. 3. IMPLEMENTATION FUNDING. 
The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
provide for the transfer from the Federal Supplementary 
Medical Insurance Trust Fund under section 1841 of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395t) to the Centers for 
Medicare & Medicaid Services Program Management Ac-
count for the period of 2020 through 2024 of such sums as 
may be necessary for purposes of implementing the amend-
ments made by section 2. 
SEC. 4. REPORT. 
(a) REPORT.—Not later than the date that is 2 years 
after the date of the enactment of the Medicare Hearing Act 
of 2019, the Inspector General of the Department of Health 
and Human Services shall— 
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(1) determine the feasibility of qualified audiol-
ogists (as defined in paragraph (4)(B) of 1861(ll) of 
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(ll))) fur-
nishing audiology services (as defined in paragraph 
(3) of such section) to individuals entitled to benefits 
under part A of title XVIII of such Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395c et seq.) and enrolled for benefits under part B 
of such title (42 U.S.C.1395j et seq.) without such in-
dividuals being referred by a physician (as defined in 
section 1861(r) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(r))) or 
practitioner (as described in section 1842(b)(18)(C) of 
such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395u(b)(18)(C))) to qualified 
audiologists; and 
(2) submit to the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services a report on the feasibility of the re-
ferral described in paragraph (1) and any program 
integrity or overutilization concerns with respect to 
such referral. 
(b) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services may promulgate regulations to allow 
qualified audiologists to furnish audiology services without 
a referral from a physician or practitioner, consistent with 
the findings submitted to the Secretary pursuant to sub-
section (a)(2). 
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