[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 277 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 277

 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for direct 
   access to audiologists for Medicare beneficiaries, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 3, 2005

 Mr. Johnson (for himself, Mr. DeWine, and Mr. Harkin) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                                Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for direct 
   access to audiologists for Medicare beneficiaries, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Hearing Health Accessibility Act of 
2005''.

SEC. 2. DIRECT ACCESS TO QUALIFIED AUDIOLOGISTS FOR MEDICARE 
              BENEFICIARIES.

    Section 1861(ll)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395x(ll)(2)) is amended by inserting before the period at the end the 
following: ``, without regard to any requirement that the individual 
receiving the audiology services be under the care of (or referred by) 
a physician or other health care practitioner or that such services are 
provided under the supervision of a physician or other health care 
practitioner''.

SEC. 3. INCLUSION OF AUDIOLOGY SERVICES AS A PART B MEDICAL SERVICE; 
              PAYMENT.

    (a) In General.--Section 1861(s)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395x(s)(2)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (Y), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in subparagraph (Z), by inserting ``and'' at the end; 
        and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
            ``(AA) audiology services (as defined in subsection 
        (ll)(2));''.
    (b) Payment Under the Physician Fee Schedule.--Section 1848(j)(3) 
of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-4(j)(3)) is amended by inserting 
``(2)(AA),'' after ``(2)(W),''.

SEC. 4. CONSTRUCTION; EFFECTIVE DATE.

    (a) Construction.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed to expand 
the scope of audiology services for which payment may be made under 
title XVIII of the Social Security Act on December 31, 2005.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this Act shall take 
effect with respect to services furnished on or after January 1, 2006.
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