SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Audiology Patient 
Choice Act of 2015’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Hearing loss is the third most common 
chronic disorder for Americans over 65, behind only 
arthritis and high blood pressure. 
(2) Individuals with mild hearing loss are three 
times more likely to experience a fall and falls are 
the leading cause of injury and death for Americans 
over 65. 
(3) Untreated hearing and balance problems 
contribute to and are highly correlated with depres-
sion and social isolation. 
(4) Seniors with hearing loss run a much higher 
risk of cognitive problems and experience cognitive 
decline up to 40 percent faster than those with nor-
mal hearing. 
(5) Medicare beneficiaries should have access to 
the same level of audiologic care as is available in 
the Veterans’ Administration, under the Federal 
Employees Health Benefits Program, and under pri-
vate insurance. 
(6) The Medicare program needs to be updated 
in a comprehensive way so Medicare beneficiaries 
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are able to have access to all of the advancements 
in the delivery of audiologic care. 
SEC. 3. IMPROVED MEDICARE COVERAGE OF AUDIOLOGY 
SERVICES. 
(a) TREATMENT OF AUDIOLOGISTS AS PHYSICIANS 
FOR PURPOSES OF FURNISHING AUDIOLOGY SERVICES.— 
The first sentence of section 1861(r) of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(r)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘or’’ before ‘‘(5)’’; and 
(2) by inserting before the period the following: 
‘‘, or (6) a qualified audiologist, but only with re-
spect to the furnishing of audiology services de-
scribed in subsection (ll)(3) for which the qualified 
audiologist is legally authorized to perform by the 
State and who is acting within the scope of the audi-
ologist’s license (or other authorization under State 
law)’’. 
(b) IMPROVED ACCESS
TO AUDIOLOGY SERVICES 
AVAILABLE FOR COVERAGE UNDER THE MEDICARE PRO-
GRAM
AND ENABLING MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES TO 
HAVE THEIR CHOICE OF QUALIFIED AUDIOLOGIST.— 
Section 1861(ll)(3) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395x(ll)(3)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘hearing and balance assess-
ment’’; 
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(2) by striking ‘‘, as would otherwise be covered 
if furnished by a physician’’; and 
(3) by inserting before the period at the end the 
following: ‘‘, without regard to any requirement that 
the individual receiving the audiology services be 
under the care of (or referred by) a physician or 
other health care practitioner or that such services 
are provided under the supervision of a physician or 
other health care practitioner’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall apply to items and services furnished on 
or after January 1 of the first year beginning more than 
6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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