Bill > S2377

This bill, the Medicare Audiology Access Improvement Act of 2023, aims to improve coverage of audiology services under the Medicare program. The key provisions are: 1. It amends the Social Security Act to include "audiology services" as a covered benefit under Medicare, defined as diagnostic or treatment services furnished by a qualified audiologist that would otherwise be covered if furnished by a physician. 2. It allows qualified audiologists to provide audiology services without requiring the individual to be under the care of or referred by a physician, or for the services to be supervised by a physician. 3. It sets the payment amount for audiology services at 80% of the lesser of the actual charge or the Medicare fee schedule amount. 4. It includes qualified audiologists as practitioners in Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), allowing them to provide services in these settings. The amendments made by this bill would apply to items and services furnished on or after January 1, 2025, and are intended to improve Medicare beneficiaries' access to audiology services by allowing qualified audiologists to provide a wider range of services directly, without requiring physician involvement.