New Legislation to Expand Access to Audiology Services for Medicare Patients

​Rep. Tom Rice (R-SC) has reintroduced the Audiology Patient Choice Act (H.R. 2276) to broaden Medicare patients' access to hearing care by removing existing barriers to audiology services (http://bit.ly/2qLRjej). This bipartisan bill, supported by Reps. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) and Matt Cartwright (D-PA), will allow Medicare Part B patients with a suspected hearing or balance problem to go directly to an audiologist without having to wait for an order from a medical doctor. Patients will also be able to choose from qualified providers for Medicare-covered hearing care. In its testimony before the Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, the Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA) said Medicare Part B patients are shuffled back and forth between providers in an inefficient process because audiologists are only recognized under Medicare Part B as diagnosticians, even though they are licensed to provide Medicare-covered rehabilitative services. "[This bill], if enacted, will alleviate many of these barriers within the Medicare system, and allow Medicare Part B beneficiaries to have the same access to audiology care as Medicare Advantage beneficiaries and most Americans do," the ADA said. 

Published: 5/5/2017 1:54:00 PM

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