Medicare Audiology Services Enhancement Act

Floor Speech

Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer solutions for seniors who are hard of hearing.

Under current Medicare rules, seniors are unable to visit the audiologists of their choice due to a payment structure that classifies these specialists differently based on their locations. Even though they offer the same care, an in-practice audiologist for an ENT can bill services directly to Medicare under the ENT's provider number. However, if the patient is referred to an independent audiologist, he cannot bill these services directly.

The Medicare Audiology Services Enhancement Act, which I will introduce this week, will end this inequity and allow independent audiologists to directly bill Medicare--expanding access to care for our seniors.

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and ENT physicians across the country have already expressed support. I urge my colleagues to sign on to this good piece of legislation.

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