HIA to combine annual meeting and hearing on the Hill in 2013.
HIA has announced plans to combine its Annual Meeting and biennial Hearing on the Hill programs into a joint event held in Washington, DC, on Feb. 27-28, 2013. The Annual Meeting will continue to provide a forum where government officials from agencies such as FDA, FCC and the VA can review issues of importance with hearing aid manufacturers, and where hearing health consumer and professional organizations continue to partner with HIA and each other to discuss issues of common interest/concern. HIA members will also visit their Senators and Representatives, while coordinating efforts with other groups that have planned Congressional meetings alongside HIA during past Hearing on the Hill programs.
Hearing health organizations issue joint statement on consumer administered hearing test and DTC HA sales
Five organizations representing hearing health professionals issued a joint statement that urges those involved in assisting patients to insure that people with hearing loss have access to a comprehensive hearing evaluation provided by a hearing health professional and also be fitted with hearing aids as needed by a professional. They also emphasize the importance of access to auditory rehabilitation and counseling to insure appropriate fit and use of the hearing aid. In addition, the groups express health and efficacy concerns related to the use of consumer-administered hearing tests and the direct sale of hearing aids to the consumer without the involvement of a licensed hearing health professional. The statement was jointly issued by the Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA), American Academy of Audiology (AAA), American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AA0-HNS), the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), and International Hearing Society (IHS).
Roster of states considering AH coverage mandate grows
As the 2012 legislative sessions continue, legislators in six additional states have introduced bills to mandate coverage of hearing aids bringing the total number of states now considering such mandates to 15. New bills were introduced in Connecticut, Georgia, Missouri, Mississippi, West Virginia and Wyoming, all of which would mandate coverage for children only. HIA is working with hearing activists in Georgia to clarify a provision in GA HB1061 that, as written, would eliminate coverage status for hearing aids that are preprogrammed with "best-fit" settings that are then adjusted by a hearing health professional.
As reported in the January Update, legislation mandating coverage was already filed in Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, South Carolina, Utah and Vermont. Vermont is the only state considering legislation that would mandate coverage for people of all ages. Of the 19 states that have enacted hearing aid insurance mandates, 17 require coverage for children only. HIA will continue to monitor these bills and future legislation as introduced.
Hearing health organizations oppose HHS approach to determining essential health benefit package
Nineteen hearing health organizations wrote a letter to the Dept of Health and Human Services (HHS) on January 31 to express opposition to the approach taken by the agency related to its consideration of coverage of hearing aids and related services as an Essential Health Benefit (EHB). As noted in the January Update, HHS is working to determine what must be included in an EHB package for all insurance policies as required by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010. EHB provisions will go into effect in 2014, covering both policies inside and outside Insurance Exchanges which must be set up according to provisions of the ACA.
HHS is also analyzing the impact of various state insurance mandates on the establishment of the Essential Health Benefits package to determine how such mandates will impact the minimum coverage package. In addition, the agency is evaluating benefits included in numerous private policies, insurance programs for federal and state employees and the Medicaid program while balancing coverage decisions with cost concerns. HIA is monitoring this process and will provide updates related to the agency's findings regarding coverage for hearing aids.
