US House of Representatives Passes Bill Adding New Medicare Hearing Benefits
WASHINGTON, D.C. — After months of deliberations and negotiations, the House of Representatives passed an amended version of the Build Back Better Act (H.R. 5376) that includes several hearing-related provisions that would impact Medicare patients and providers, if ultimately enacted. The bill would add coverage of treatment services provided by audiologists—for the first time in…
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Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers Urge House & Senate to Include Medicare Audiologist Access and Service Provisions in Upcoming COVID-19 Legislation
WASHINGTON, DC — United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Congressman Tom Rice (R-S.C.) led a letter, along with Congressman Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.), Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Congressman Darren Soto (D-Fla.), Congressman Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), and Congressman Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), to House and Senate leadership urging them to include provisions of the…
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CMS Expands List of Medicare Eligible Telehealth Providers to Include Audiologists
WASHINGTON, DC — The American Academy of Audiology (AAA) announced this week that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued an interim final regulation on April 30 that states that, “all professionals who are able to bill Medicare for their professional services will be considered eligible telehealth providers for the duration of the…
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Medicare Audiologist Access and Services Act of 2019 Introduced in US Senate
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On September 9, 2019, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Rand Paul (R-KY), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Roger F. Wicker (R-MS) introduced the Medicare Audiologist Access and Services Act of 2019 (S.2446). Like its identical companion bill (H.R.4056) introduced on July 25 by Congressman Tom Rice (R-SC) and colleagues, this legislation will enhance…
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News Roundup for January 9: A Veritable Dog’s Breakfast of Stories from Around the Profession and the Industry.
New Study Examines Barriers to Hearing Care Services Among Medicare Population In the January 2019 issue of Health Affairs, a peer-reviewed health policy journal, researchers at Johns Hopkins University’s Cochlear Center for Hearing Loss and Public Health shed light on the accessibility of hearing care services in the Medicare-eligible population. Using 2013 survey data…
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JAMA Article Lays Path for Medicare Reimbursement of Hearing-Related Services
With OTC hearing aid regulatory guidelines looming, a few experts are beginning to consider the additional hearing rehabilitative services needed by some to ensure they receive maximum benefit from their purchase. Further, given the older population most in need of hearing aids, Medicare reimbursement for these clinical services is a significant issue. The 2017 OTC…
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Humana Expands Medicare Advantage Hearing Aid Benefit to 27 More States
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY — Humana Inc, announced this month that it will be expanding its relationship with TruHearing, to offer hearing aid benefits to more of its Medicare Advantage plan subscribers. Currently, the company has been offering the benefit in Arizona, Arkansas, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas and Washington. In 2018, the company will be offering the…
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Policy Experts Float Idea of Medicare Coverage for Hearing Services
Since the inception of the program, some 50 years ago, Medicare has excluded coverage for dental, vision and hearing services. The program has directly contributed to sharp declines in mortality and longer life expectancy for those aged 65 and older. Today, however, given the linkage between increased costs and poorer overall health and disorders related…
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Audiologist Sentenced to 94 Months in Prison for Her Role in Multimillion dollar Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme
TAMPA, FLORIDA — A Florida licensed audiologist was sentenced to 94 months in prison on March 21st, according to a US Justice Department news release, for her participation in a multimillion-dollar health care fraud and money laundering scheme. According the Justice Department, Terri Schneider, of Lakeland, Florida, was sentenced in the Middle District Court of Florida, where…
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