EFHOH Calls for Broader Access to Assistive Hearing Technology
On World Assistive Technology Day, the organization highlights inequalities in affordability and support across Europe.
Category: Legislation
Legislation
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Legislation
Latest
Veterans’ ACCESS Act Amended to Include Hearing Aid Specialists
The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee considered language for the Veterans’ ACCESS Act that would expanding VA coverage to include hearing aid specialists.
Legislation
Latest
New Law Mandates Hearing Aid Coverage for Minors in Virginia
According to the legislation, coverage includes one hearing aid per ear, up to a cost of $1,500, every 24 months.
NJ Health Insurers May Cover Hearing Aids and Cochlear Implants
New Jersey State-regulated health insurers may soon be required to cover hearing aids and cochlear implants for individuals under 21 years of age, thanks to a bill sponsored by Senator Vince Polistina that was approved by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.
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Sen. Chuck Grassley Holds Q&A in Iowa with HCP
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.”
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AAA Provides Tips for OTC Hearing Aid Purchases
Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finalized a rule change that would allow a class of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids to be available to adult consumers directly without the care and guidance of a hearing health professional. By mid-October, consumers will be able to purchase over-the-counter hearing aids (OTC HAs) online and at big-box stores, pharmacies, and even through your audiologist.
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Sens Grassley and Warren Release OTC Hearing Aid Report
Sens Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) released the findings of their new bipartisan investigative report: Loud and Clear: Why Americans Want Effective and Affordable Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids – and How Powerful Special Interests are Trying to Undermine Them.
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NCL Supports “Safe OTC Hearing Aid Standards”
Mild-to-moderate hearing loss is a difficult reality that millions of Americans struggle with, which is why the availability of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids is exciting for those who are impacted by hearing loss. While making OTC hearing aids more accessible is a promising step for consumers, we at NCL would be remiss if we didn’t underscore our concerns around the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) proposed OTC hearing regulations as they currently exist.
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ASL in New Jersey Schools
An article in the New Jersey newspaper, “The Record,” spotlights the prominence of American Sign Language (ASL) in the state’s schools, after a 2015 bill allowed high schools to categorize it as a world language. Students are required to take five credits in order to graduate.
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Kansas Law Changes Hearing Loss Terminology
A bill in Kansas to change references in state law to those with hearing loss from “hearing impaired” to “hard of hearing,” was signed into law on April 19, according to an article on the “WIBW 13” website.
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Legislation in Fl, Iowa Aim to Help Children with Hearing Loss
Legislation related to early testing for a virus known to cause hearing loss and support for educational intervention for children with hearing loss, were passed in Florida and Iowa.
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Sens. Grassley, Warren Issue Bill to Spur FDA’s Final Rule for OTC Hearing Aids
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.
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Kansas Senate Updates Hearing Loss Terminology
The Kansas Senate approved a final bill that updates the term “hearing impairment” to “hard of hearing” in state statute, according to an article in the “Kansas Reflector.”
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Florida Senate Passes Hearing Aid Bill for Children
“SB 498” stipulates that “’a health insurer issuing an individual policy that provides major medical or similar comprehensive coverage for a dependent child’ to cover hearing aids at $3,500 per ear for two years, including at least six ear molds over that same period,” according to “WFLA.”
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Phrase ‘Deaf and Dumb’ Slated for Removal from Tennessee State Code
In an effort to remove what some call “offensive language,” from state code, Tennessee legislators are petitioning to purge the phrase “deaf and dumb” from the records and replace it with “deaf or hard of hearing,” according to an article in “Newsweek.”
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Hearing Aids May Be Covered By Insurance in Washington State Soon
A new bill introduced in the Washington State Legislature may make coverage for exams, fittings, and hearing instruments, among other things, mandatory for health insurance companies beginning in January 1, 2023, according to an article in “The Olympian.”
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Sen. Tina Smith Introduces Bill for Veteran’s Hearing Care
A bill introduced by Minnesota Senator Tina Smith may ease the way for veterans to receive treatment for tinnitus or hearing loss related to their military service.
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BSL May Become Recognized Language in UK
A new bill introduced by a member of British Parliament, Rosie Cooper, could help make British Sign Language (BSL) a recognized language, according to an article in “The Guardian.”
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