Title: Audiology Patient Choice Act of 2018
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Audiology Patient Choice Act of 2018
This bill amends expands the definition of "physician," for purposes of the Medicare program, to include an audiologist with respect to the furnishing of audiology services.
Additionally, the bill expands the scope of audiology services covered under Medicare and allows payment for such services regardless of whether an enrollee is under the care of (or referred by) a physician or other health care provider or whether the services are provided under the supervision of a physician or other health care provider.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2575 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2575

    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 beneficiaries to have their choice of a qualified 
     audiologist to provide such services, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 20, 2018

 Ms. Warren (for herself and Mr. Paul) introduced the following bill; 
     which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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 program, to improve access to the 
 audiology services available 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 purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Audiology Patient Choice Act of 
2018''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Hearing loss is the third most common chronic physical 
        condition 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 deaths from injury for Americans over 65.
            (3) Untreated hearing and balance problems contribute to 
        and are highly correlated with depression 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 normal 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 private insurance.
            (6) The Medicare program needs to be updated in a 
        comprehensive way so Medicare beneficiaries 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 respect to the 
        furnishing of audiology services described 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 audiologist's license (or other authorization 
        under State law)''.
    (b) Improved Access to Audiology Services Available for Coverage 
Under the Medicare Program 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 assessment'';
            (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.
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