ADA is pleased to announce that the Montana Audiology Guild and the Montana Speech-Language Hearing Association (MSHA) have endorsed the Audiology Patient Choice Act (H.R. 5304), which will streamline access to audiology services for Medicare patients, and bring Medicare in line with today’s best practices in the delivery of hearing and balance health care services.
The Montana Audiology Guild writes, “Montana’s large land area, combined with a sparse population, makes access to timely health care services difficult. There is already a shortage of audiologists and physicians in Montana. Certain regions of the state have the harshest weather conditions and the fewest available local health care services.
If this bill is passed, title XVIII of the Social Security Act will be amended to provide for treatment of audiologists as limited license physicians solely for the purpose of providing appropriate audiology services covered under Medicare. H.R. 5304 will eliminate the need for physician referral prior to receiving audiology services. For Montana, this will reduce unnecessary travel in inclement weather, as well as improving timeliness of services through direct access.
Passage of H.R. 5304 will also enable consumers to have a choice in qualified providers by authorizing Medicare reimbursement to audiologists for services within their scope of practice that are already covered by Medicare when provided by other health care professionals. H.R. 5304 will allow audiologists to be included in the list of Medicare designated limited license physicians, such as chiropractors, dentists, optometrists and podiatrists.
The Montana Audiology Guild appreciates those who have worked on behalf of audiologists to improve our delivery model for best practices for the benefit of our patients.”
ADA applauds the efforts of the audiologists in Montana to advance patient choice and best practices in audiologic care! For more information about the Audiology Patient Choice Act, please visit www.18x18.org. Please visit Congressional Connect to write your legislators in support of the Audiology Patient Choice Act.
