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S. 1996119th CongressIn committeeLatest action Jun 9, 2025Decoded by AI · checked against the record
Official title: Medicare Audiology Access Improvement Act of 2025
Introduced:
Read the official bill on Congress.govThe plain-language version leads. The official text is always the reference.
Starting in 2027, Medicare patients could see audiologists directly for hearing and balance care without a physician referral.
40-second read · 4 questions answered below
Starting January 1, 2027, this bill would let Medicare patients see licensed audiologists directly for testing and treatment without a physician referral or supervision. Medicare would pay audiologists 80% of the approved fee schedule amount and add them to providers who bill on an assignment basis. Audiologists could also work at Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers, but the bill does not expand billable service types beyond what was allowed at the end of 2026.
Medicare beneficiaries, mostly people 65 and older who need hearing or balance care, especially in rural areas. Audiologists, as Medicare-billing healthcare providers, are also directly affected.
Removing referral and supervision requirements changes how patients access hearing and balance care and shifts billing and practice rules for audiologists under Medicare.
AI-drafted summary. Verify it against the official text before you act on it. Read the official bill on Congress.gov
Right now: a Senate committee is reviewing it. If the House changes it, it goes back to the Senate before reaching the President.
Latest action: — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.