On Tuesday, AG Bell met with Rep. Alex Mooney, who represents West Virginia's 2nd congressional district. The incoming representative took office in January and is the first Hispanic elected to Congress in West Virginia history. Mooney also has served in the Maryland State Senate and is a former chair of the Maryland Republican Party.
John Stanton, Esq, Rep. Alex Mooney and Emilio Alonso-Mendoza, J.D., CFRE.
Mooney met with Emilio Alonso-Mendoza, AG Bell chief executive officer, and John Stanton, Esq., a longtime friend and supporter of Mooney who has served on the AG Bell Public Affairs Council and was instrumental in working on movie theater captioning and other legal and advocacy issues. AG Bell reviewed key legislative issues, including the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2015 (H.R. 1344), a bill that was recently introduced to reauthorize this highly successful federal initiative for the next five years.
Mooney also was interested in considering legislation that would provide financial support for hearing technology, which is a struggle for many consumers. The Hearing Aid Assistance Tax Credit (S. 315) would provide a $500 credit to people of all ages who need a hearing aid. The bill was reintroduced today with a bi-partisan group of 35 representatives signed on as cosponsors. The Medicare Hearing Aid Coverage Act of 2015 (H.R. 1653) would remove the part of the Social Security Act that currently prevents Medicare from covering hearing aids. The Medicare Audiology Services Enhancement Act of 2015 (H.R. 1116) would provide coverage for diagnostic and rehabilitation services provided by audiologists.
