Academy of Doctors of Audiology

SUPPORT THE ADA ERIC N. HAGBERG, AU.D., ADVOCACY FUND

The Academy of Doctors of Audiology has made a significant investment of time and resources to promote the Medicare Audiologist Access and Services Act (H.R. 1587 / S.1731) because we recognize that it will enhance patient care and advance the interests of our membership. The act is a Declaration of Independence for Medicare recipients—allowing them their choice of qualified providers for audiologic care and authorizing Medicare to reimburse audiologists for the Medicare-covered services that they are licensed to provide under their scope of practice.

Help declare audiology’s independence from outdated Medicare requirements including requirements for a physician’s order as a requisite of care by donating to the ADA Eric N. Hagberg, Au.D., Advocacy Fund now. Your donation of any amount will be used exclusively to advance best practices and patient choice by advancing the Medicare Audiologist Access and Services Act. Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to find out how you can get involved in other volunteer efforts to support this legislation.

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AUDIOLOGY AND MEDICARE PATIENTS NEED YOUR HELP TO PASS THE MEDICARE AUDIOLOGIST ACCESS AND SERVICES ACT (H.R. 1587 / S.1731)

  • Write your legislators and tell them to support the Medicare Audiologist Access and Services Act—it is easy to do with ADA’s Congressional Connect tool.
  • Ask your colleagues and friends to visit www.chooseaudiology.org and like ADA on Facebook. Visit the AuDvocacy Action Page to view many great tools to share with anyone who needs more information about the Medicare Audiologist Access and Services Act.
  • Become an active investor in advancing the Medicare Audiologist Access and Services Act by making a contribution now. You have the power to change your profession and patient care forever — support the Medicare Audiologist Access and Services Act today! All funds will go to the ADA Eric N. Hagberg, Au.D., Advocacy Fund and there are no restrictions on who can donate.
  • Improve access to qualified, licensed Medicare providers, by allowing seniors with a suspected hearing or balance disorder to seek treatment directly from audiologists, eliminating archaic medical doctor referral requirements.
  • Allow patients to choose among qualified providers for Medicare-covered audiologic services by authorizing Medicare to reimburse audiologists for the Medicare-covered services that they are licensed to provide. These services are already covered by Medicare when delivered by other providers.
  • Address the medical doctor workforce shortage confronting our country, while helping to meet the increasing demand for health care services by the growing Medicare population, through the inclusion of audiologists in the list of Medicare-recognized practitioners.

The Medicare Audiologist Access and Services Act (H.R. 1587 / S.1731) is a call to action for Congress to update Title 18 of the Social Security Act with the changes included in this bill. The act was carefully constructed to promote high-quality, cost-effective audiologic care for Medicare patients. The legislation will not:

  • Expand or add new services to the Medicare program
  • Expand or modify an audiologist’s scope of practice
  • Impact state licensure requirements for the practice of audiology
  • Increase patient risk or compromise quality of care

The introduction of the Medicare Audiologist Access and Services Act provides a historic opportunity for Congress to improve access to safe, effective hearing and balance health care services for Medicare beneficiaries, while adding efficiencies that will streamline the continuum of care. This legislation will have lasting benefits for Medicare patients and American taxpayers alike. As a national organization, representing audiologists from all 50 states, ADA is proud to endorse The Medicare Audiologist Access and Services Act.

Visit ADA’s AuDvocacy Action Center for more information about The Medicare Audiologist Access and Services Act including the following:

WHAT IS THE MEDICARE AUDIOLOGIST ACCESS AND SERVICES ACT?

The Medicare Audiologist Access and Services Act seeks to amend Title 18 of the Social Security Act to achieve:

  • Direct access for patients to audiologists;
  • Expanded access to coverage to include all Medicare-covered services that audiologists are licensed by their states to provide; and
  • Define audiologists as practitioners under the Medicare definition, which will put audiologists in professional parity with other providers.

WHY SUPPORT THE ACT?

The Medicare Audiologist Access and Services Act is a single piece of proposed legislation that will change Medicare in three interconnected ways: it comprehensively changes what audiologic services are provided, how they are provided and by whom they are provided. Expanded Coverage, practitioner status, and Direct Access are thus logically and practically linked, so that they are best sought together.