The Medicare Audiology Access Improvement Act streamlines access to care, helps prevent complications such as falls and cognitive decline, and ultimately improves lives while also potentially reducing long-term Medicare expenditures.
September 25, 2025
The Honorable Rand Paul
United States Senator from Kentucky
295 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Gus Bilirakis
12th Congressional District of Florida
2306 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Senator Paul and Congressman Bilirakis,
On behalf of AMAC Action, the advocacy affiliate of the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC), with over 2 million members nationwide, I write to express our strong support for the Medicare Audiology Access Improvement Act. Your legislation corrects outdated Medicare rules which currently limit seniors’ access to critical hearing and balance care.
Hearing loss is a widespread issue among older Americans, with millions experiencing reduced quality of life due to diminished hearing and balance. Yet, under current Medicare regulations, seniors are denied the ability to fully access audiology services provided by qualified, independent audiologists despite these services being covered under federal law and within the audiologists’ professional scope of practice. This bureaucratic barrier not only restricts patient choice but delays care and unfairly burdens both seniors and providers.
The Medicare Audiology Access Improvement Act rightly addresses these concerns by empowering licensed audiologists to directly bill Medicare for covered services without the need for a pre-treatment order, a requirement not found in any other federal or commercial insurance program. Furthermore, the bill appropriately extends these services to Rural Health Centers and Federally Qualified Health Centers, improving access for seniors in underserved and rural areas, where choices are already limited.
By allowing audiologists to fully participate in Medicare, the bill will increase competition, streamline access to care, and help prevent costly complications such as falls and cognitive decline, ultimately improving lives while also potentially reducing long-term Medicare expenditures. We commend you for your leadership in reintroducing this important legislation. America’s seniors deserve timely, high-quality care and the freedom to choose the providers they trust.
Sincerely,
Andrew J. Mangione Jr.
Senior Vice President
AMAC Action
I lost 85% of my hearing suddenly in 2017 at 52 years of age. Hearing aids are not covered by insurance. Even if Medicare covered it, I was 10 years away from being on it.
Very important but not widely known is that with hearing loss, if you
don’t get hearing aides, your brain atrophies causing more rapid mental
decline and dementia.
Luckily, my loss was only in one ear but still significant. My one hearing aide cost me over $3,000. I worked in health care and the equipment I used was quite loud. I needed a hearing aide that I could adjust for different settings.
Another very important issue is that anyone who is hearing disabled needs hearing aides to communicate clearly with medical professionals. My frustration as a CT Technologist was that there were so many elderly who were hearing impaired and could not afford hearing aides.
Yes. I wear hearing aids and I am for this bill.