,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dfah  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,october #h1         
#bjai,mrs4 ,mc,bath 7for herself and    
,mrs4 ,dingell7 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 provide   
coverage for certain hearing items and  
services under part ,b of the ,medicare 
program4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act   
may be cited as the ,medicare ,hearing  
,act of #bjai4  #b4 ,providing coverage 
for hearing care under the ,medicare    
program  7a7 ,provision of aural        
rehabilitation and treatment services by
 qualified audiologists ,section        
#ahfa7ll77#c7 of the ,social ,security  

,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciex7ll77#c77 is  
amended by inserting 7and1 beginning    
,january #a1 #bjbb1 such aural          
rehabilitation and treatment services7  
after assessment4  7b7 ,coverage of     
hearing aids  7#a7 ,inclusion of hearing
 aids as prosthetic devices ,section    
#ahfa7s77#h7 of the ,social ,security   
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciex7s77#h77 is   
amended by inserting 1 and including    
hearing aids before the semicolon at the
 end4  7#b7 ,payment limitations for    
hearing aids ,section #ahcd7;h7 of the  
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#aciem7h77 is amended by adding at the  
end the following new paragraph3  7#f7  
,limitations for hearing aids ,payment  
may be made under this part with respect
 to an individual1 with respect to      
hearing aids-- 7,a7 not more than once  
during any #e-year period2  7,b7 only if
 such individual has been diagnosed with
 profound or severe hearing loss in one 
or both ears2  7,c7 only for types of   
such hearing aids that are not          

over-the-counter hearing aids 7as       
defined in section #ebj7q77#a7 of the   
,federal ,food1 ,drug1 and ,cosmetic    
,act7 and that are determined           
appropriate by the ,secretary2 and  7,d7
 only if furnished pursuant to a written
 order of a doctor or qualified         
audiologist 7as described in section    
#ahfa7ll77#e774  4  7#c7 ,application of
 competitive acquisition  7,a7 ,in      
general ,section #ahcd7;h77#a77;,h7 of  
the ,social ,security ,act 7#db         
,u4,s4,c4 #aciem7h77#a77;,h77 is        
amended-- 7i7 in the header1 by         
inserting and hearing aids before the   
semicolon2  7ii7 by inserting and of    
hearing aids described in paragraph     
7#b77;,d7 of such section1 after #bjji12
 and  7iii7 in clause 7i71 by inserting 
or such hearing aids after such         
orthotics4  7,b7 ,conforming amendment  
7i7 ,in general ,section #ahdg7;a77#b7  
of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db      
,u4,s4,c4 #aciew-#c7;a77#b77 is amended 
by adding at the end the following new  

subparagraph3  7,d7 ,hearing aids       
,hearing aids for which payment would   
otherwise be made under section         
#ahcd7;h74  4  7ii7 ,exemption of       
certain items from competitive          
acquisition ,section #ahdg7;a77#g7 of   
the ,social ,security ,act 7#db         
,u4,s4,c4 #aciew-#c7;a77#g771 as amended
 by section #b7;f77#b71 is further      
amended by adding at the end the        
following new subparagraph3  7,c7       
,certain hearing aids ,those items and  
services described in paragraph         
7#b77;,d7 if furnished by a physician or
 other practitioner 7as defined by the  
,secretary7 to the physician's or       
practitioner's own patients as part of  
the physician's or practitioner's       
professional service4  4  7c7 ,exclusion
 modification ,section #ahfb7;a77#g7 of 
the ,social ,security ,act 7#db         
,u4,s4,c4 #aciey7a77#g77 is amended--   
7#a7 by striking hearing aids or        
examinations therefor1 or2 and  7#b7 by 
inserting 1 or1 with respect to items   

and services furnished before ,january  
#a1 #bjbb1 hearing aids or examinations 
therefor before the semicolon4  #c4     
,implementation funding  ,the ,secretary
 of ,health and ,human ,services shall  
provide for the transfer from the       
,federal ,supplementary ,medical        
,insurance ,trust ,fund under section   
#ahda of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db
 ,u4,s4,c4 #aciet7 to the ,centers for  
,medicare  ,medicaid ,services ,program 
,management ,account for the period of  
#bjbj through #bjbd of such sums as may 
be necessary for purposes of            
implementing the amendments made by     
section #b4