I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2276 
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 bene-
ficiaries to have their choice of a qualified audiologist to provide such 
services, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 1, 2017 
Mr. RICE of South Carolina (for himself, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, and Ms. JENKINS 
of Kansas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee 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 provide 
for treatment of audiologists as physicians for purposes 
of furnishing audiology services under the Medicare pro-
gram, to improve access to the audiology services avail-
able 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 pur-
poses. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:50 May 05, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2276.IH
H2276
lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Audiology Patient 
Choice Act of 2017’’. 
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 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:50 May 05, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2276.IH
H2276
lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
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’’; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:50 May 05, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2276.IH
H2276
lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
(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 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:50 May 05, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H2276.IH
H2276
lotter on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS