I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3024 
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide Medicare bene-
ficiaries greater choice with regard to accessing hearing health services 
and benefits. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 24, 2009 
Mr. ROSS (for himself, Mr. TOWNS, Mr. GORDON of Tennessee, Ms. 
DEGETTE, Mr. LATHAM, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. BARROW, Mr. 
SIMPSON, Mr. CHANDLER, Mrs. EMERSON, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. 
COURTNEY, and Mr. PAUL) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to 
the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently de-
termined 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 
Medicare beneficiaries greater choice with regard to ac-
cessing hearing health services and benefits. 
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 
Health Care Enhancement Act of 2009’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Approximately 30,000,000 Americans expe-
rience some degree of hearing loss and by 2030 that 
number is expected to increase to 78,000,000 Ameri-
cans. 
(2) Hearing impairment is one of the most 
common conditions affecting older adults, with ap-
proximately 33 percent of Americans aged 60 years 
and over, and 40 to 50 percent of those aged 75 
years and older, experiencing hearing loss. 
(3) Hearing loss is a major barrier to partici-
pating in society, both economically and socially. 
(4) Hearing loss among senior citizens, if left 
untreated, can result in isolation and depression. 
(5) The Department of Veterans Affairs allows 
veterans to directly access audiologists and has re-
ported that this policy, adopted in 1992, provides 
high-quality, efficient, and cost-effective hearing 
care. 
(6) The Office of Personnel Management allows 
Federal employees and Members of Congress to di-
rectly access audiologists through the Federal Em-
ployees Health Benefits Program. 
(7) Audiologists are licensed in each State and 
the District of Columbia and the scope of services 
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furnished by audiologists is determined by each such 
jurisdiction involved. 
(8) Consistency in Federal policy with respect 
to hearing health care services should be encouraged 
to the greatest extent possible. 
SEC. 3. ENABLING MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES TO HAVE 
THEIR 
CHOICE 
OF 
QUALIFIED 
HEARING 
HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS. 
Section 1861(ll)(3) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395x(ll)(3)) is amended 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’’. 
SEC. 4. INCLUSION OF AUDIOLOGY SERVICES AS MEDICAL 
SERVICES UNDER MEDICARE PART B; PAY-
MENT FOR SUCH SERVICES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1861(s)(2) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(s)(2)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (DD), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(2) in subparagraph (EE), by inserting ‘‘and’’ 
at the end; and 
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(3) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraph: 
‘‘(FF) audiology services (as defined in sub-
section (ll)(3));’’. 
(b) PAYMENT UNDER THE PHYSICIAN FEE SCHED-
ULE.—Section 1848(j)(3) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w– 
4(j)(3)) is amended by inserting ‘‘(2)(FF),’’ after 
‘‘(2)(EE),’’. 
SEC. 5. CONSTRUCTION; EFFECTIVE DATE. 
(a) CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in the amendments 
made by this Act shall be construed to expand the scope 
of audiology services for which payment may be made 
under title XVIII of the Social Security Act on December 
31, 2009. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this Act shall take effect with respect to services furnished 
on or after January 1, 2010. 
Æ 
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