,,ib ,union ,calendar ,no4 #cjb #aafth  
,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,h4 ,r4 #dfah
 ,report ,no4 #aaf-cbf1 ,parts ,i and   
,,ii ,,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 
,december #f1 #bjai,reported from the   
,committee on ,ways and ,means with an  
amendment,strike out all after the      
enacting clause and insert the part     
printed in italic  ,january #bd1        
#bjbj;,additional sponsors3 ,ms4 ,castor
 of ,florida1 ,mr4 ,cuellar1 ,ms4       
,norton1 ,mr4 ,higgins of ,new ,york1   
and ,mr4 ,welch  ,january #bd1          
#bjbj,reported from the ,committee on   

,energy and ,commerce1 committed to the 
,committee of the ,whole ,house on the  
,state of the ,union1 and ordered to be 
printed,for text of introduced bill1 see
 copy of bill as introduced on ,october 
#h1 #bjai  ,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 assessment services4    
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 furnished on
 or after ,january #a1 #bjbb1 to        
individuals diagnosed with profound or  
severe hearing loss 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 furnished 
on or after ,january #a1 #bjbb--  7,a7  
not more than once during any #e-year   
period2  7,b7 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,c7
 only if furnished pursuant to a written

 order of a physician or qualified      
audiologist 7as defined in section      
#ahfa7ll77#d77;,b774  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#g77 is 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 
7#d7 ,inclusion of audiologists as      
certain practitioners to receive payment
 on an assignment-related basis ,section
 #ahdb7;b77#ah77;,c7 of the ,social     
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#acieu7b77#ah77;,c77 is amended by      
adding at the end the following new     
clause3  7vii7 ,with respect to #bjbb   
and each subsequent year1 a qualified   
audiologist 7as defined in section      
#ahfa7ll77#d77;,b774  4  7c7 ,exclusion 
modification ,section #ahfb7;a77#g7 of  
the ,social ,security ,act 7#db         
,u4,s4,c4 #aciey7a77#g77 is amended by  

inserting 7except such hearing aids or  
examinations as described in and        
otherwise allowed under section         
#ahfa7s77#h77 after hearing aids or     
examinations therefor4  #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  #d4 ,report  7a7 ,report   
,not later than the date that is #b     
years after the date of the enactment of
 the ,medicare ,hearing ,act of #bjai1  
the ,inspector ,general of the          
,department of ,health and ,human       
,services shall-- 7#a7 determine the    
feasibility of qualified audiologists   

7as defined in paragraph 7#d77;,b7 of   
#ahfa7ll7 of the ,social ,security ,act 
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciex7ll777 furnishing  
audiology services 7as defined in       
paragraph 7#c7 of such section7 to      
individuals entitled to benefits under  
part ,a of title ,,xviii of such ,act   
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acie;c et seq47 and     
enrolled for benefits under part ,b of  
such title 7#db ,u4,s4,c4#acie;j et     
seq47 without such individuals being    
referred by a physician 7as defined in  
section #ahfa7r7 of such ,act 7#db      
,u4,s4,c4 #aciex7r777 or practitioner   
7as described in section                
#ahdb7;b77#ah77;,c7 of such ,act 7#db   
,u4,s4,c4 #acieu7b77#ah77;,c777 to      
qualified audiologists2 and  7#b7 submit
 to the ,secretary of ,health and ,human
 ,services a report on the feasibility  
of the referral described in paragraph  
7#a7 and any program integrity or       
overutilization concerns with respect to
 such referral4  7b7 ,regulations ,the  
,secretary of ,health and ,human        

,services may promulgate regulations to 
allow qualified audiologists to furnish 
audiology services without a referral   
from a physician or practitioner1       
consistent with the findings submitted  
to the ,secretary pursuant to subsection
 7a77#b74  ,january #bd1 #bjbj ,reported
 from the ,committee on ,energy and     
,commerce1 committed to the ,committee  
of the ,whole ,house on the ,state of   
the ,union1 and ordered to be printed