American Academy of Audiology Offers Professional Telehealth Update and Guidance
RESTON, VIRGINIA — As COVID-19 continues to impact individuals across the United States, the Department of Health and Human Services, state and local agencies, and commercial insurance programs are creating new and revised regulations/guidance regarding telehealth payment policies. Audiologists are beginning to employ creative solutions to assist their patients while mitigating the risk of further…
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AAA and ADA Urge CMS to Lift Medicare Physician Order Requirement and Allow Audiologists to Provide Services via Telehealth
The American Academy of Audiology (AAA) and the Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA) have both submitted letters to CMS this week, urging them to “exercise their regulatory authority to waive the physician order requirement currently required before a Medicare beneficiary may access the services of an audiologist”. In addition, both organizations have requested that…
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AAA 2020 Conference Officially Cancelled
RESTON, VIRGINIA — The American Academy of Audiology (AAA) announced late this evening that it has decided, “in an abundance of caution” to officially cancel the planned AAA 2020 conference, which had been set to take place in New Orleans, Louisiana from April 1-4. The conference is the latest in a string of high profile…
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AAA’s “Best of Audiology” Lacks Some of the Fireworks of Past Meetings and Quietly Moves into the Future
Any grizzled audiologist wandering the expo floor at the recently concluded AAA convention, auspiciously known this year as The Best of Audiology, had to be a little stunned by how the once marquee show floor has gradually shrunk in just a few short years. It wasn’t that long ago, after all, when some of…
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In Shift, AAA to Offer Support of Audiology Patient Choice Act
RESTON, VIRGINIA — The Board of Directors of the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) announced yesterday that it has voted to endorse the Audiology Patient Choice Act (APCA) on the condition that it include language to provide audiologists with the ability to opt-out of Medicare. According to the announcement, the AAA board feels that the…
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Professional Hearing Organizations Release Consensus Recommendations for OTC Hearing Aid Classification
WASHINGTON, DC — It was announced today that all four of the major US professional hearing healthcare organizations have released a consensus paper for the new over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid classification , “Regulatory Recommendations for OTC Hearing Aids: Safety and Effectiveness.” The consensus paper, which outlines five evidence-based recommendations related to the safety and effectiveness,…
Read MoreIs AAA Thwarting Efforts for Audiologists to Obtain Professional Autonomy, as Some Claim?
The American Academy of Audiology (AAA) is, by far, the largest professional organization in Audiology, but the much smaller Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA) is gaining members at a record pace. According to ADA, the group has gained more than 120 new members this year. A probable cause of this sudden growth in ADA…
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American Academy of Audiology Issues Dithering Response to Direct Access Bill
After what was, by several accounts, a contentious membership meeting to discuss the Audiology Patient Choice Act, the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) issued the following statement: The Academy strongly supports streamlining access to audiology services and being recognized and reimbursed for performing our full scope of practice under the Medicare program and across…
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American Academy of Audiology Board Meets with FDA, Congress, and Private-Payer Representatives
WASHINGTON, DC — Members of the board of the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) conducted meetings last week with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), members of Congress, and representatives from the private-payer community. According to an announcement to its membership on October 30th, AAA said its board used the meetings to represent audiology’s…
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US Senate Passes OTC Hearing Aid Legislation
WASHINGTON, DC — The US Senate passed the FDA Reauthorization Act today. The legislation, as reported previously, contains a provision that directs the FDA to develop a category of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss. A House version of the bill was passed last month. The OTC provision of…
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