HEAR Act Introduced to Eliminate Exclusion of Hearing Aids from Medicare

Editor: Most insurance policies don't cover hearing aids. For that matter, neither does Medicare. But there's a bill before Congress that would require Medicare to start paying for hearing aids. Here's the story from NVRC. You don't need permission to share this story, but please be sure to credit NVRC.

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June 2007

Congressman Gus M. Bilirakis (R-Palm Harbor, Florida) has introduced HR 1912, the Medicare Hearing Enhancement and Auditor Rehabilitation (HEAR) Act, which is designed to help seniors better afford hearing aids and other auditory rehabilitation services.

According to the National Institutes of Health (HIA), hearing loss is one of the most common conditions affecting older adults. One in three people over 60 and half of those over 85 have hearing loss. Medicare is specifically prohibited from paying for hearing aids by federal law. HR1912 would repeal this prohibition and direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop coverage policies based on other federal hearing aid programs, such as those currently offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense through its Tricare health program. HR1912 also would provide Medicare coverage for auditory rehabilitation services so that Medicare beneficiaries can receive needed ongoing care to optimize their hearing with the use of a hearing aid.

"We must begin a national discussion on how to help seniors afflicted with hearing loss or impairment, especially with more and more baby-boomers suffering from this condition becoming Medicare-eligible," said Bilirakis. "As an American with hearing loss, I understand all too well the frustrations associated with this condition. It makes good sense to help those who suffer from hearing impairment better afford devices, treatments, and services that will improve their quality of life."

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), Rockville, Md, applauded Representative Bilirakis for introducing HEAR, stating that HR1912 would provide Medicare coverage for hearing aids and auditory rehabilitation services for seniors with hearing loss. "Congressman Bilirakis has demonstrated vital leadership in advancing this important discussion on Medicare's role in hearing loss among American seniors," says Dennis Burrows, PhD, executive director of the Constance Brown Hearing Centers in Kalamazoo, Mich, and ASHA Executive Board member. "The Medicare HEAR legislation recognizes the critical value of providing auditory rehabilitation services from qualified professionals, such as audiologists, in addition to the hearing aids themselves," says Burrows. "Without auditory rehabilitation services, consumers will not get the full benefit of their hearing aids."

"ASHA has a leading, abiding, and very active commitment to making help like that addressed by the Medicare HEAR Act accessible to the public," says ASHA President Noma Anderson, PhD. "We applaud Congressman Bilirakis for introducing such important legislation. ASHA looks forward to working closely with him on making hearing aids and auditory rehabilitation services more available to our seniors who need them."