Hearing Device Coverage Clarification Act

The Hearing Device Coverage Clarification Act (S 983) requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to clarify that implanted active middle ear hearing devices are prosthetics - not hearing aids - so they fall under Medicare's prosthetic coverage instead of the hearing aid exclusion. This change would directly affect Medicare beneficiaries who use these specific devices, ensuring they qualify for coverage without being denied under current policy. CMS must issue this clarification within 60 days of the bill's enactment, referencing the existing regulatory definition of "prosthetic" from 42 CFR § 414.202. The bill does not create new benefits but removes a coverage barrier for these devices.