S. 1996 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the Senate, Jun 9, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryMedicare expands coverage for audiology services
Right now, Medicare has limits on what audiology services it will pay for. This bill would expand that coverage to include diagnostic and treatment services that audiologists provide—services that Medicare would normally cover if a doctor provided them instead. The key change is that audiologists could provide these services independently, without needing a referral from or supervision by a physician.
How it affects you
If you're on Medicare and have hearing problems, this could matter to you. You'd potentially have access to a wider range of audiology services covered by Medicare, and you might not need to go through a doctor first to see an audiologist. People who rely on Medicare for hearing care could have more direct access to the specialists who treat hearing loss.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Jun 9, 2025)
Medicare Audiology Access Improvement Act of 2025
This bill provides for Medicare coverage of certain audiology services. Specifically, the bill expands coverage to include diagnostic and treatment services that are furnished by audiologists and that would otherwise be covered if provided by a physician, including incidental services, regardless of whether such services are provided pursuant to a referral from, or under the supervision of, a physician or other health care practitioner.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionS. 1996
A BILL
Medicare Audiology Access Improvement Act of 2025
Sponsor: Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) · Introduced Jun 9, 2025 · Health · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Jun 9, 2025: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.”