US · guidance
CMS Pub. 100-02, ch. 15, § 80.3.1
Definition of Qualified Audiologist
Audiological tests require the skills of an audiologist and shall be furnished by qualified audiologists, or, in
States where it is allowed by State and local laws, by a physician or non-physician practitioner. Medicare is
not authorized to pay for these services when performed by audiological aides, assistants, technicians, or
others who do not meet the qualifications below. In cases where it is not clear, the MAC shall determine
whether a service is an audiological service that requires the skills of an audiologist and whether the
qualifications for an audiologist have been met.
Section 1861(ll)(3) of the Act, provides that a qualified audiologist is an individual with a master’s or
doctoral degree in audiology. Therefore, a Doctor of Audiology (AuD) 4th year student with a provisional
license from a State does not qualify unless he or she also holds a master’s or doctoral degree in audiology.
In addition, a qualified audiologist is an individual who:
• Is licensed as an audiologist by the State in which the individual furnishes such services, or
• In the case of an individual who furnishes services in a State which does not license audiologists has:
o Successfully completed 350 clock hours of supervised clinical practicum (or is in the process
of accumulating such supervised clinical experience), and
ο Performed not less than 9 months of supervised full-time audiology services after obtaining a
master’s or doctoral degree in audiology or a related field, and
ο Successfully completed a national examination in audiology approved by the Secretary.
If it is necessary to determine whether a particular audiologist is qualified under the above definition, the
A/B MAC (B) should check references. A/B MACs (B) in States that have statutory licensure or
certification should secure from the appropriate State agency a current listing of audiologists holding the
required credentials. Additional references for determining an audiologist’s professional qualifications are
the national directory published annually by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and
records and directories, which may be available from the State Licensing Authority.
History
(Rev. 84; Issued: 02-29-08; Effective: 04-01-08; Implementation: 04-07-08)
Provenance
- Source
- cms.gov
- Retrieved
- 2026-08-25
- Edition
- iom-2026-08-25
- Content hash
700d865665eb672ee9ec6f4f7aaa055e2410866c856a066559f28f73baee7c42
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