Senator Warren Urges Senate to Prioritize Passage of Medicare Audiologist Access and Services Act at Hearing on COVID Health Flexibilities

At the May 19, 2021, Senate Finance Committee hearing on COVID-19 Health-Care Flexibilities, United States Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) made the case for passing the Medicare Audiologist Access and Services Act, which she reintroduced on the same day with Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Rand Paul (R-KY).

The bipartisan bill would ensure seniors and people with disabilities on Medicare have access to a full range of hearing and balance health-care services provided by licensed audiologists, who are trained and licensed in all 50 states and U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) joined as original co-sponsors.

Senator Warren:

“In other words, audiologists provide critical services to people with hearing loss. That’s why I’m joining Senator Paul and Senator Grassley in reintroducing the Medicare Audiologist Access and Services Act.”

“This is a bill that would expand seniors’ access to hearing services by reclassifying audiologists as practitioners in the Medicare program, and that will allow them to bill for services without a physician referral and to provide patients with both the kind of diagnostic and treatment services that are within an audiologists’ scope of practice.”

“It seems to me that the COVID-19 pandemic has forced us all to reconsider bureaucratic limitations to health care including hearing care. So I believe that the Senate should prioritize the passage of our bill to help seniors get the care that they need.”

For a more complete accounting of Senator Warren’s comments, please review the full press release.