On the Need for a Hearing Aid Tax Credit

Editor: You've probably heard about the hearing aid tax credit proposal, which would allow a tax credit when a person buys a hearing aid. The bills haven't been passed yet, but the possibility of getting these bills through Congress is looking better all the time.

Here's Stephen Frazier's letter with some good arguments for the bill. Stephen invites people to model a letter to their congresspersons on his work, and includes some helpful information on how to do that following his letter.

Steve is VP for PR for the Albuquerque Chapter of Self Help for Hard of Hearing People (SHHH). Take a minute to visit their wonderful website at www.abqshhh.homestead.com. While you're surfing, also have a look at the Hearing Aid Tax Credit website Steve put together - http://www.nowhearthis.homestead.com/

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Hearing loss does not just affect the individual, it affects those around that person - family, friends, co-workers and, often, the general public. It can be the cause of family friction, lowered productivity at work, loss of contact with the outside world.

Based on averages reported in a study by Gallaudet University, the nation's premier institution of higher learning for the Hard of Hearing and the Deaf, it is estimated that there are in excess of 150,000 Hard of Hearing citizens in the state of New Mexico and an additional 10,000 who are deaf. The great majority of these people, including many of those who are deaf, could benefit greatly from the use of hearing aids but, unfortunately, only a small percentage of these people have the devices.

The single largest impediment to the use of hearing aids is cost. Although there are models available for under $1,000, the average hearing aid now costs $1,700 ($3,400 for a pair). For the most advanced technology, the cost can be considerably higher. Even at the average figure, the cost puts hearing aids out of reach for many with hearing loss - particularly that 26% of the public over the age of 65, nearly a third of whom have some degree of hearing loss.

According to government statistics, hearing loss in seniors is the third most prevalent but treatable disabling condition, behind arthritis and hypertension. Medicare, however, does not cover hearing aids nor do almost all health insurance policies. For many seniors on a limited income, what happens when they suffer hearing loss is often a gradual withdrawal from social activities with friends and family resulting in growing isolation, loneliness and a deterioration of their quality of life because they do not have the financial resources to purchase hearing aids.

Seniors, however, are not the only ones who suffer from hearing loss. The Journal of the American Medical Association (April 8, 1998) reports that 14.9% of children ages 6 to 19 have a hearing loss of at least 16 decibels in one or both ears. The American Academy of Otolaryngology reported way back in 1990 that 7% of second graders and 15% of eighth-graders have measurable hearing loss.

For the hard of hearing children of struggling young parents, the lack of hearing aids can have a dramatic impact on the children's education, their social skills, and their resulting success in life as they go out into society. Untreated hearing loss in their early, formative years, can handicap these children for the rest of their lives even if they are later fitted with hearing aids.

To at least partially address this problem, a bill has been introduced in the house by Congressman Jim Ryun of Kansas (HR 414 - the Hearing Aid Assistance Tax Credit Act) that would make a $500 per ear tax credit available to qualifying individuals once ever five years for the purchase of hearing aids. A companion bill (S 1060) has recently been introduced in the Senate by Senator Norm Coleman of Minnesota.

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People are welcome to adapt the information above to compose a letter to their own delegation in Washington. They can come up with estimated HoH figures for their state by going to the Gallaudet University web site, printing a copy of a the information posted there on the Prevalence and Characteristics of Persons with Hearing Trouble, then checking the U. S. Census figures for the population in their state. The Gallaudet report's address is: http://gri.gallaudet.edu/Demographics/factsheet.html

People can learn more about both the Senate and House versions of the bill at the SHHH web site. For info on the house bill: www.hearingloss.org/html/HC.html and for info on the Senate bill is: www.hearingloss.org/html/HC01.html .