Direct Access Legislation, H.R. 2140, Introduced in U.S. House of Representatives by Mike Ross (D-AR)
The Medicare Hearing Health Care Enhancement Act of 2011 (H.R. 2140) was introduced in the 112th Congress by Mike Ross (D-AR) with 11 original co-soponsors. If passed, H.R. 2140 will amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide Medicare beneficiaries greater choice with regard to accessing hearing health services and benefits.
Please  download the complete template letter that you can use. H.R. 2140, if passed, will eliminate the need for Medicare patients to obtain a physician referral prior to visiting an audiologist for an evaluation. Click here to track the progress of the bill.
Specifically, 2140 would (Bill Summary):
Medicare Hearing Health Care Enhancement Act of 2011 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for direct access to qualified audiologists for Medicare beneficiaries, without regard to any requirement that the beneficiary be under the care of (or referred by) a physician or other health care practitioner, or that such services are provided under the supervision of a physician or other health care practitioner. Covers audiology services under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance).
ADA, its Board of Directors and its Advocacy Committee urge you to contact your Congressman today to encourage him/her to support this critical piece of legislation. Your Congressman may be unfamiliar with this "Direct Access" bill—please view key talking points that you can present in support of H.R. 2140 when you contact your legislator.
Hearing Aid Tax Credit Legislation Introduced
The Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA) is pleased to report that Representatives Tom Latham (R-IA) and Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) introduced the bipartisan Hearing Aid Tax Credit (H.R. 1479) to the 112th Congress yesterday with 36 original co-sponsors, including 4 members of the House Ways and Means Committee. In the Senate, Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) are organizing original co-sponsors as they prepare to reintroduce companion legislation in that chamber.
The Act provides a tax credit of up to $500 toward the purchase of a hearing aid (per ear), available once every five years. The tax credit would be available to those individuals aged 55 years and older, dependents of taxpayers, or taxpayers whose adjusted gross income is below $200,000.
You can help support this initiative by contacting your Representative today. Please take the following link to track H.R. 1479 and to view a list of co-sponsors: Track H.R.1479. Please take the following link to a template letter for your use in reaching out to your legislators.
ADA continues to serve alongside other organizations including the Alexander Graham Bell Assn for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AG Bell), the Hearing Loss Assn of America (HLAA), the American Academy of Audiology (AAA), the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA), the American Tinnitus Association (ATA), the International Hearing Society (IHS) and the Hearing Industries Association (HIA) as part of the Hearing Aid Tax Credit Coalition supporting this important legislation.
For more information about ADA advocacy initiatives, please visit www.audiologist.org.
112th Congress Begins Inaugural Session: ADA Encourages You to AuDvocate for AuDiology
With a new Congress comes a new opportunity to advance key legislative initiatives that will benefit the profession of audiology and the patients that we serve.
ADA supports legislation that would provide Direct Access for audiologists under Medicare. This legislation would specifically:
Amend title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide direct access to qualified audiologists for Medicare beneficiaries, without regard to any requirement that the beneficiary be under the care of (or referred by) a physician or other healthcare practitioner, or that such services are provided under the supervision of a physician or other healthcare practitioner. Covers audiology services under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance).
This legislation was most recently introduced in 2009 as H.R. 3024: The Medicare Hearing Healthcare Enhancement Act, and must be reintroduced for consideration in the 112th Congress. ADA supports the reintroduction of Direct Access legislation because:
- Direct Access would provide for the delivery of high-quality patient care. Audiologists are doctoral-educated, licensed healthcare professionals. In fact, they are the only professionals who are university-trained and licensed to specifically identify, evaluate, diagnose, and treat hearing disorders. Audiologists must currently earn a professional degree (the Doctor of Audiology, or Au.D.), which typically involves 4 years of academic and clinical training in audiology, following a traditional 4-year bachelor's degree, in order to enter the profession.
- Audiologists are trained to recognize problems requiring medical attention and to immediately refer such patients to a physician. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) management reports for the Physicians Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) for Quarter 1 and Quarter 2 of 2010, audiologists were among the specialties with the highest percentages of valid quality data codes (QDCs), at 95 percent (Q1) and 96 percent (Q2) (data has not yet been posted for Q3 and Q4). PQRI is a voluntary reporting program, designed to improve the quality of care to Medicare beneficiaries.
- Direct Access is cost-effective. The requirement of an initial physician visit prior to a visit to an audiologist is costly to the Medicare program. During the initial appointment, audiologists perform a number of procedures, including case history, otoscopy and immittance that serve as a screening for medical conditions. As a result, entry into the hearing healthcare system can be made safely without a perfunctory physician visit.
- Medicare already allows beneficiaries Direct Access to a range of non-physician practitioners. Medicare beneficiaries do not need a physician referral to see a dentist, oral surgeon, podiatrist, optometrist, chiropractor, clinical nurse specialist, clinical psychologist, clinical social worker, nurse-midwife, nurse practitioner, and physician assistant.
- Other federal programs already allow Direct Access to an audiologist. The Medicare program should keep pace with other federal healthcare programs and private health plans that already allow Direct Access to audiologists. For example, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has allowed veterans Direct Access to audiologists for the past 15 years, with successful results. Direct Access has enabled the VA to provide high quality, cost-effective hearing healthcare to veterans. The Office of Personnel Management allows Federal employees and Members of Congress to directly access audiologists through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. Also, many private health plans, including most preferred provider organizations (PPOs), allow their enrollees Direct Access to audiologists.
- Direct Access would not expand the scope of practice for audiology.
- Direct Access would not diminish the important role played by physicians.
Archive
In 2011, ADA also continues its support of legislation that would provide a hearing aid tax credit for patients.
The Hearing Aid Tax Credit Assistance Act of 2009 (H.R. 1646) enjoyed widespread bi-partisan support and reached 130 co-sponsors before the close of the 111th Congress. The Senate companion bill (S. 1019), received the support of 9 senators including three members of the Senate Finance Committee. Both bills will have to be reintroduced for consideration under the 112th Congress.
Bill Summary, H.R. 1646: (3/19/2009 – Introduced)
Hearing Aid Assistance Tax Credit Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a nonrefundable income tax credit of up to $500 for the purchase of a qualified hearing aid for an individual who is either: (1) age 55 or older; or (2) is claimed as a dependent of the taxpayer. Denies such tax credit to any taxpayer whose modified adjusted gross income exceeds $200,000.
Bill Summary, S. 1019: (5/11/2009 – Introduced)
Hearing Aid Assistance Tax Credit Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow individual taxpayers an income tax credit of up to $500 for the purchase of a hearing aid for the use of the taxpayer or a dependent.
Some ADA members have expressed concerns regarding the fact that previous hearing aid tax credit bills have not included restrictions on the method of sale for the hearing aids or requirements that consumers/patients go to a licensed practitioner in order to receive the tax credit. ADA carefully considered these concerns when determining its current position.
ADA will continue to support federal Hearing Aid Tax Credit legislation even without sales restrictions for the following reasons:
- Sales restrictions vary from state to state and are generally left to each state to determine. We believe that the most effective way to change unfavorable state sales laws is by advocating for change at the state level rather than by including such language in this federal bill.
- Introducing sales provisions into federal hearing aid tax credit legislation could erode support among legislators and among the patients/consumers that the legislation seeks to help.
- The Hearing Aid Tax Credit legislation has enjoyed long-term, bi-partisan support, largely because of the uncontroversial nature of the bill and the uniform support among patients/consumers, audiologists and other hearing healthcare professionals and hearing aid manufacturers. View a list of endorsing organizations here. We believe that the success of this legislation in the future hinges on continued support by all of these groups.
- ADA has been long dedicated to educating patients and other constituents as to the benefits of choosing an audiologist for the provision of hearing healthcare. This legislation will not hinder those efforts.
We will keep you updated as to the status of these initiatives. Meanwhile, please contact ADA headquarters if you have any questions or would like more information. Please take the following link for contact information for your Representative and Senators. Members may also wish to support these efforts by contributing to the ADA Political Action Committee. ADA is seeking members who are interested in participating in its 2011 Advocacy Committee. The committee, with oversight by the ADA Board of Directors, monitors the legislative and regulatory landscape and directs ADA's advocacy policies and initiatives. Please contact Stephanie Czuhajewski if you are interested in serving.
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