Hearing Aid Assistance Tax Credit Act Before Congress

U.S. House of Representatives member from New York, Carolyn McCarthy, and Rep. Vernon Ehlers, from Michigan, have jointly introduced the Hearing Aid Assistance Tax Credit Act to the House (H.R. 2329).

The companion bill in the Senate (S. 1410), written by Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman, provides a tax credit of up to $500 per hearing device purchased every five years. The tax credit would be available to individuals 55 years of age and older, and to households with a dependent child or parent in need of a hearing aid. The bill doesn't restrict the consumer in any way, allowing for the purchase of the right device to suit the needs and preferences of the buyer.
The bill has received bipartisan support within both the House and Senate.

The Hearing Health Care Profession

This legislation would mean great things for the patients that walk through your door each and every day. Cost continues to be an issue for hearing aid consumers. ASHA's president, Noma Anderson, put it this way: "Financial constraints are cited as a core reason many Americans do not use hearing aids. Hearing aids are currently not covered under Medicare or under the vast majority of state-mandated benefits. This bill will help people with hearing loss purchase these much needed devices."

Although the cost of hearing aids well exceed the amount provided in the proposed legislation, any help will be welcomed. "Hearing aids cost thousands of dollars and any help could go a long way, especially since most [health] insurance policies do not cover hearing aids," according to Kelby Brick, Director of Law and Advocacy for the National Association of the Deaf (NAD). "This bill is a good start. The NAD will continue to seek ways to fund coverage or reimbursement for hearing aids. Those bills [before the House and Senate] are a step in the right direction."

Be Heard

If you feel your patients or someone you know would benefit from this legislation the best thing to do is write a letter to your local senator or congressperson. Share with them personal experiences and how someone you know would benefit from this legislation (H.R. 2329 and S. 1410). To find contact information for your local senator or congressperson visit: www.congress.org/congressorg/home/.