Senator Chuck Grassley's (R-Iowa) office announced that he met with Iowa Audiology President and CEO Dr Jason Aird to discuss the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) finalization of a key rule allowing hearing aids to be sold over-the-counter – a “bipartisan effort Grassley has led for over five years.”
The bipartisan “Delivering Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids Now Act” follows the FDA’s proposed rule implementing over-the-counter hearing aids in October 2021, which was issued more than a year after the statutory deadline and over four years after the law’s passage.
In a letter to US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Acting Commissioner Janet Woodcock, Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) expressed their support for key provisions in the FDA’s proposed rule for regulating over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids.
The settlement resolves a complaint by a deaf patient who alleged that despite her requests for an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter for her labor and delivery, Advent failed to provide an interpreter or any other communication aid or service.
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The House of Representatives passed “HR 5561, the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2021,” on a 410-17 vote. The bill would reauthorize the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the ACI Alliance said in its announcement.
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The $1.9 trillion Build Back Better Act was passed by the US House of Representatives on Friday, November 19, and is now with the Senate for what is sure to be a bumpy ride. The bill includes coverage of hearing aids once every 5 years for people with severe to profound hearing loss, as well as funding for universal preschool, expanded Child Tax Credits, several health and pandemic-related initiatives, renewable energy credits, and more.
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The “Build Back Better” legislation being considered by Congress would provide Medicare coverage of hearing aids and services once per ear every 5 years, and now includes audiologists, hearing aid specialists, and other qualified healthcare providers.
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A review of the recent legislative pushes for establishing rules for OTC hearing aids and the expansion of Medicare to cover hearing, vision, and dental services.
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Starkey announced the launch of Listen Carefully, an initiative aimed at “bridging the conversation between hearing healthcare providers and lawmakers in Washington, DC.”
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A recent article appearing on the “NBC News” website by Phil Galewitz with “Kaiser Health News,” discusses the expansion of over-the-counter hearing devices currently on the market for people with mild-to-moderate hearing loss, in the absence of FDA regulations governing the 2017 “Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Law.”
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An opinion article published on the data intelligence company Morning Consult’s website by Starkey President Brandon Sawalich discusses some “misconceptions about hearing aids” following President Biden’s recent executive order on competition.
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An article on the “NPR” website discusses a proposed expansion of Medicare that would potentially include coverage for dental, hearing, and vision benefits. An outline of an upcoming budget bill directing the Senate Finance Committee to put forth the expansion was released by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday.
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Now with the pandemic in retreat, lawmakers are considering the appropriate scope of telehealth services, reimbursement policies, and patient access. HIA’s Bridget Dobyan contends that, in a rare area of bipartansanship, US legislators could be on the threshold of a transformative time in health policy and the delivery of healthcare.
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Recently, Good Morning America (ABC) aired a story about a recent announcement from the Biden administration regarding hearing aids. According to the story, the Biden administration has issued an executive order directed to the Department of Health and Human Services to do two things. First, to issue plans to “combat price gouging” regarding hearing aid costs within 45 days and second, to take action within 120 days to propose getting hearing aids available over the counter.
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According to “NPR,” the orders includes plans to allow hearing aids to be sold over the counter at pharmacies, much like Obama administration efforts that strived to make hearing aids less like pricy medical devices and as easy to purchase as reading glasses.
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US Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Chair of the House Ways & Means Health Subcommittee, announced that he is leading 76 Members of Congress in introducing the “Medicare Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act“ to expand the care Medicare provides.
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The organizations invite all members of the audiology community to join them for a town hall event “Securing the Future of Audiology: Collaboration in Action,” on Wednesday, May 26th, at 7:00 PM EDT.
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Long-time industry executive Paul Martin contends that Florida’s dispensing laws are archaic and need updating to allow for the distribution of hearing aids through the mail so underserved populations have more options in getting quality care. In the past week, his letter has generated several responses from HR readers.
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