Sponsors (7)
The bill expands Medicare coverage to improve access to hearing aids and comprehensive aural rehabilitation—benefiting seniors and people with disabilities—but increases Medicare costs, adds administrative complexity, and leaves gaps (OTC exclusion and a multi‑year replacement limit) that may disadvantage some beneficiaries.
Medicare beneficiaries (seniors and people with disabilities) gain coverage for hearing aids and a comprehensive package of aural rehabilitation services (assessment, fitting, counseling, periodic refitting), reducing out‑of‑pocket costs and improving hearing outcomes and care continuity.
Hospitals, health systems, and providers get clearer Medicare payment treatment because hearing aids are classified as durable medical equipment (DME), which should streamline billing and improve beneficiary access.
The replacement rule (roughly a three‑year window) helps limit frequent replacements and encourages program integrity, which constrains program costs and reduces waste.
Medicare program costs will increase due to expanded coverage for hearing aids and related services, potentially raising fiscal pressure on Medicare and taxpayers or requiring offsets elsewhere in the budget.
Excluding over‑the‑counter (OTC) hearing aids from coverage means low‑income beneficiaries and others who prefer lower‑cost OTC options may face higher out‑of‑pocket costs or reduced access.
Some beneficiaries may be unable to get a replacement hearing aid for up to three years, potentially delaying needed upgrades or repairs and temporarily worsening hearing or safety for those individuals.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Adds hearing rehabilitation and hearing aids as Medicare-covered benefits/DME, defines services and providers, limits replacements to three years, and sets an implementation window.
Makes Medicare cover hearing rehabilitation services and treats hearing aids as durable medical equipment (DME). It defines covered aural rehabilitation services, sets provider qualifications and ancillary services (fitting, adjustment, counseling), limits hearing-aid replacements to every three years unless audiologic deterioration is shown, excludes over‑the‑counter devices, and sets a Secretary-controlled implementation window between the first and third Jan 1 after enactment. The amendments add formal definitions into Medicare law, adjust existing Medicare exclusions to allow more frequent hearing services when eligible, and require the Department of Health and Human Services to set the precise effective date within the specified window.
Introduced November 20, 2025 by Kevin Mullin · Last progress November 20, 2025