This bill directs Medicare officials to clarify that implanted active middle ear hearing devices should be treated as prosthetics covered by Medicare rather than as hearing aids, which are currently excluded from coverage under Medicare law. The change affects Medicare beneficiaries who might benefit from these surgically implanted devices, which work differently than traditional hearing aids by directly stimulating the middle ear bones. The bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to issue this clarification within 60 days of the law's enactment. The legislation does not specify new funding requirements but would potentially expand Medicare coverage for these implanted devices by reclassifying them under prosthetic device rules rather than hearing aid exclusion rules.
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