Published: June 1, 2018
Federal legislative accomplishments
115th Congress – 2017/2018
115th Congress – 2017/2018
Repealed the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB)
- Created by the Affordable Care Act, the IPAB was charged with creating or modifying Medicare payment policy with limited congressional oversight.
- Repeal signed into law in February 2018.
Defeated proposed cuts to Medicare physician payments
- An SGR-like proposal relating to “mis-valued codes” was included in a congressional spending bill and would have resulted in cuts to Medicare physician payments.
- Provision successfully removed in February 2018.
Secured funding for Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs
- This EHDI reauthorization effort sought to continue funding through 2022 for statewide plans that identify children with hearing loss and provide access to early intervention services.]
- Bill signed into law in October 2017.
Ensured key patient protections in OTC hearing aids proposal
- An AAO-HNS amendment identifying “medically treatable causes of hearing loss” was added to legislation creating a category of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids.
- Amended bill signed into law in August 2017.
Increased visibility of World Hearing Day
- The AAO-HNS joined others in the hearing health community to draft a Congressional Resolution designating March 3 as World Hearing Day.
- Resolution introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in March 2018.
Led coalition letter opposing audiology scope expansion
- The AAO-HNS spearheaded opposition to the inappropriate expansion of audiology’s scope of practice and reclassification of audiologists as “physicians.”
- Letter garnered more than 130 signatories from national, state, and local medical organizations.