,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #aeah  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #e1 #bjai,mrs4
 ,dingell 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,kilmer1   
,miss ,rice of ,new ,york1 ,ms4         
,schakowsky1 ,ms4 ,mc,collum1 ,ms4      
,kaptur1 ,ms4 ,matsui1 and ,ms4         
,de,lauro7 introduced the following     
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce1 and
 in addition to the ,committee on ,ways 
and ,means1 for a period to be          
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 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 remove the
 exclusion of ,medicare coverage for    
hearing aids and examinations therefor1 
and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,medicare ,hearing ,aid ,coverage ,act  
of #bjai4  #b4 ,removing ,medicare      
exclusion of coverage of hearing aids   

and examinations therefor  7a7 ,in      
general ,section #ahfb7;a77#g7 of the   
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#aciey7a77#g77 is amended by striking   
hearing aids or examinations therefor14 
7b7 ,effective date ,the amendment made 
by this section shall apply to items and
 services furnished on or after ,january
 #a1 #bjbj4  #c4 ,,gao study and report 
on hearing aid programs  7a7 ,study ,the
 ,comptroller ,general of the ,united   
,states shall conduct a study of        
programs1 including ,federal programs   
and health insurance coverage1 that     
provide assistance for hearing aids and 
related examinations for individuals    
with hearing loss4 ,such study shall    
include an examination of the number of 
individuals in the ,united ,states with 
hearing loss who need hearing aids1     
their coverage under such programs1 and 
the effectiveness of such programs in   
meeting such need4 ,such study may also 
address programs that are designed to   
reduce or mitigate the incidence of     

hearing loss4  7b7 ,report ,not later   
than #ah months after the date specified
 in section #b7;b71 the ,comptroller    
,general shall submit a report to       
,congress on the study conducted under  
subsection 7a74 ,such report shall      
include such recommendations on changes 
in such programs1 including the         
establishment of new programs1 as would 
meet the needs of individuals with      
hearing loss4