Lawmakers Lobby for Seniors' Access to Audiology Services by Telehealth

A group of lawmakers wants to help seniors access audiology services via telehealth during the coronavirus pandemic.

Led by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Rep. Tom Rice (R-SC), the group sent a letter to Congressional leaders asking to include provisions of the Medicare Audiologist Access and Services Act in upcoming COVID-19 relief packages.

(For more coronavirus updates, visit our resource page, updated twice daily by Xtelligent Healthcare Media.)

“As COVID-19 forces many seniors into isolation, outdated Medicare requirements limit their ability to access the audiology services they need,” the letter states. “Unlike other government programs and private insurers, including Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare currently mandates that beneficiaries obtain a physician order before they are allowed to access an audiologist, even for a hearing test.”

“Medicare laws have never been updated to reclassify audiologists from suppliers to practitioners,” the letter continues. “Due to this shortfall, audiologists are excluded from health professionals who are authorized by statute to be reimbursed for services provided through telehealth.”

With the ongoing pandemic severely limiting in-person access to healthcare providers, many specialists are struggling to coordinate and manage care for patients. The CARES Act, which was signed into law in March, gives the Health and Human Services Secretary the authority to expand Medicare coverage for services delivered by other types of care providers.

Roughly two weeks ago, CMS took that action, expanding Medicare coverage to services provided by physical and occupational therapists and speech language pathologists. But according to the lawmakers, waivers granted for audiologists were limited to four billing codes “that are not typically provided by the majority of audiologists to the Medicare population.”

“At this time it is necessary to remove the physician order requirement for Medicare beneficiaries who need audiology services and expand the waiver to include all services that audiologists are already authorized to bill for medically necessary in-person visits so long as they can safely and effectively provide these services through telehealth,” the letter concludes.

The Medicare Audiologist Access and Services Act (HR 4056 and S 2446), introduced in July 2019 in the House and September 2019 in the Senate, includes language that would eliminate outdated physician order requirements, update the Medicare statute to classify audiologists as practitioners, and authorize Medicare to reimburse audiologists for the Medicare-covered, medically necessary treatment services that can be delivered by telehealth.

Along with Warren and Rice, the letter is signed by Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and Reps. Matt Cartwright (D-PA), Darren Soto (D-FL), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Rodney Davis (R-IL).