Title: Medicare Hearing Act of 2019
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Medicare Hearing Act of 2019
This bill expands Medicare coverage to include hearing aids and hearing rehabilitation and treatment services, in accordance with specified limitations.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4618 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4618

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide coverage for 
    certain hearing items and services under part B of the Medicare 
                                program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 8, 2019

  Mrs. McBath (for herself and Mrs. Dingell) introduced the following 
 bill; which was referred to the Committee 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 coverage for 
    certain hearing items and services under part B of the Medicare 
                                program.

    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 ``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''.
    (b) Coverage of Hearing Aids.--
            (1) Inclusion of hearing aids as prosthetic 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'' before the semicolon 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:
            ``(6) Limitations for hearing aids.--Payment may be made 
        under this part with respect to an individual, with respect to 
        hearing aids--
                    ``(A) not more than once during any 5-year period;
                    ``(B) only if such individual has been diagnosed 
                with profound or severe hearing loss in one or both 
                ears;
                    ``(C) only for types of such hearing aids that are 
                not over-the-counter hearing aids (as defined in 
                section 520(q)(1) of the Federal Food, Drug, and 
                Cosmetic Act) and that are determined appropriate by 
                the Secretary; and
                    ``(D) only if furnished pursuant to a written order 
                of a doctor or qualified audiologist (as described in 
                section 1861(ll)(5)).''.
            (3) Application of competitive acquisition.--
                    (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 
                        section,'' after ``2009,''; and
                            (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)), as amended by section 2(f)(2), is 
                        further amended by adding at the end the 
                        following new subparagraph:
                    ``(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 physician's or practitioner's 
                professional service.''.
    (c) Exclusion Modification.--Section 1862(a)(7) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395y(a)(7)) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``hearing aids or examinations therefor, 
        or''; and
            (2) by inserting ``, or, with respect to items and services 
        furnished before January 1, 2022, hearing aids or examinations 
        therefor'' before the semicolon.

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 Account for 
the period of 2020 through 2024 of such sums as may be necessary for 
purposes of implementing the amendments made by section 2.
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