[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3242 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3242

  To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide Medicare 
   beneficiaries coordinated care and greater choice with regard to 
            accessing hearing health services and benefits.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 24, 2012

 Mr. Menendez 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 Medicare 
   beneficiaries coordinated care and greater choice with regard to 
            accessing hearing health services and benefits.

    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 ``Medicare Hearing Health Care 
Enhancement Act of 2012''.

SEC. 2. ENABLING MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES TO HAVE THEIR CHOICE OF 
              QUALIFIED HEARING HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS.

    Section 1861(ll)(3) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395x(ll)(3)) 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 MEDICAL SERVICES UNDER 
              MEDICARE PART B; PAYMENT FOR SUCH SERVICES.

    (a) In General.--Section 1861(s)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395x(s)(2)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (EE), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in subparagraph (FF), by inserting ``and'' at the end; 
        and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
            ``(GG) audiology services (as defined in subsection 
        (ll)(3));''.
    (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)(GG),'' before ``(3),''.

SEC. 4. CONSTRUCTION; EFFECTIVE DATE.

    (a) Construction.--Nothing in the amendments made by 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, 2012.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this Act shall take 
effect with respect to services furnished on or after January 1, 2013.
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