,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bcgg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #ai1     
#bjbc,ms4 ,warren 7for herself1 ,mr4    
,paul1 ,mr4 ,grassley1 ,mrs4 ,shaheen1  
,ms4 ,sinema1 ,mr4 ,wicker1 ,mr4 ,brown1
 ,mr4 ,welch1 and ,mr4 ,king7 introduced
 the following bill2 which was read     
twice and referred to the ,committee on 
,finance  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend title    
,,xviii of the ,social ,security ,act to
 improve coverage of audiology services 
under the ,medicare program1 and for    
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,medicare      
,audiology ,access ,improvement ,act of 
#bjbc4  #b4 ,coverage of audiology      
services under the ,medicare program    
7a7 ,in general ,section #ahfa7s77#b7 of
 the ,social ,security ,act 7#db        
,u4,s4,c4 #aciex7s77#b77 is amended--   
7#a7 in subparagraph 7,,ii71 by striking
 and at the end2  7#b7 in subparagraph  
7,,jj71 by striking the period at the   
end and inserting 2 and2 and  7#c7 by   

adding at the end the following new     
subparagraph3  7,,kk7 audiology services
 7as defined in subsection 7ll77#c772  4
  7b7 ,improved access to audiology     
services ,paragraph 7#c7 of section     
#ahfa7ll7 of the ,social ,security ,act 
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciex7ll77 is amended to
 read as follows3  7#c7 ,the term       
audiology services means such hearing   
and balance assessment services         
furnished on or before ,december #ca1   
#bjbd1 and beginning ,january #a1 #bjbe1
 such diagnostic or treatment services  
furnished by a qualified audiologist    
which the qualified audiologist is      
legally authorized to perform under     
,state law 7or the regulatory mechanism 
provided by ,state law71 as would       
otherwise be covered if furnished by a  
physician or as incident to a           
physician's service4 ,a qualified       
audiologist shall be permitted to       
furnish such audiology services without 
regard to any requirement that the      
individual receiving such audiology     

services is under the care of 7or       
referred by7 a physician or other health
 care practitioner or that such services
 are furnished under the supervision of 
a physician or other health care        
practitioner4  4  7c7 ,payment amount   
and coinsurance ,section #ahcc7;a77#a7  
of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db      
,u4,s4,c4 #aciel7a77#a77 is amended--   
7#a7 by striking and before 7,,hh72 and 
7#b7 by inserting the following before  
the semicolon3 and 7,,ii7 with respect  
to audiology services furnished under   
section #ahfa7s77#b77,,kk71 the amounts 
paid shall be #hj percent of the lesser 
of the actual charge for the services or
 the fee schedule amount provided under 
section #ahdh4  7d7 ,payment on         
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  7ix7 ,a qualified audiologist  
7as defined in section                  

#ahfa7ll77#d77;,b774  4  7e7 ,inclusion 
of qualified audiologists as ,,rhc and  
,,fqhc practitioners ,section           
#ahfa7;aa77#a77;,b7 of the ,social      
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#aciex7aa77#a77;,b77 is amended by      
inserting by a qualified audiologist 7as
 defined in subsection 7ll77#d77;,b771  
after 7as defined in subsection         
7hh77#a7714  7f7 ,rule of construction  
,nothing in the amendments made by this 
section shall be construed to expand the
 scope of audiologist services or       
services for which payment may be made  
to other providers under title ,,xviii  
of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db      
,u4,s4,c4 #acie et seq47 beyond those   
services for which such payment may be  
made as of ,december #ca1 #bjbd4  7g7   
,effective date ,the amendments made by 
this section shall apply to items and   
services furnished on or after ,january 
#a1 #bjbe4