UPDATE: OTC Hearing Aid Legislation Merged with FDA Bill, Now “Much More Likely” to Pass
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Members of the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) and International Hearing Society (IHS) learned yesterday afternoon that the Over-The-Counter Hearing Aid Act legislation has now been attached to the Medical Device User Fee and Modernization Act (MDUFA). According to AAA President Ian Windmill, the MDUFA bill is considered “must-pass” and is scheduled to…
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Audiology Patient Choice Act Reintroduced into US Congress
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representatives Tom Rice (R-S.C.), Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.), and Lynn Jenkins (R- Kan.) re-introduced the Audiology Patient Choice Act (H.R. 2276) into the U.S. House of Representatives this week, to help “streamline an outdated Medicare policy by giving patients direct access to audiologists without requiring referral from a medical doctor”. “Medicare users,…
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Hearing Aid Tax Credit Bill Reintroduced in US Senate
WASHINGTON, DC — On January 5th, Senators Dean Heller (R-NV) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) reintroduced the Hearing Aid Tax Credit bill (S. 48) in the US Senate. If the proposed bi-partisan legislation is enacted, it will provide a $500 tax credit per hearing aid purchased, with the credit available every five years. Similar versions of the…
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ADA Supports OTC Hearing Aid Bill; AAA Applauds FDA Decision to Eliminate Waiver
In a move that perhaps caught some in the audiology community by surprise, the Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA) announced its support of S.9, the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2016. In a statement released by ADA, it said that the organization “commends Senators Warren and Grassley for their foresight in introducing and advancing…
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HIA Makes Statement About New OTC Hearing Aid Legislation
While the Hearing Industries Association (HIA) of America agrees with the basic idea of increasing accessibility and affordability of hearing aids, in a December 3rd press release, they expressed concerns about the recently proposed Warren-Grassley legislation intended to create a new category of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids. The primary concerns expressed in the HIA statement…
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US Senate Passes IHS “Fit to Serve” Legislation: Veterans Mobility Safety Act of 2016
WASHINGTON, DC — The International Hearing Society (IHS) announced today that the US Senate unanimously passed H.R. 3471, commonly referred to as the “Fit to Serve” bill, on November 17, 2016. The bill was backed in the Senate by S. 564 sponsors, Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Jon Tester (D-MT). H.R. 3471 cleared the US House of Representatives in…
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Making Noise: Hearing Protection Act Gaining Support in US Congress
WASHINGTON, DC — Last October, US Congressman Matt Salmon (R-AZ) introduced the Hearing Protection Act of 2015, HR 3799, along with 10 co-sponsors. Since that time, it has gained an additional 42 co-sponsors, including Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KS) and John Ratcliffe (R-TX) last week. The bill would amend the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) eliminate the…
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FDA Plans to Study Hearing, Aging, and Direct-to-Consumer Television Ads
By Brian Taylor, AuD If you watch the evening news on broadcast television you are likely well aware of the omnipresence of pharmaceutical advertising. Recently, the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced plans to evaluate if older Americans are able to sufficiently hear the many health risks mentioned in these all-too-common television advertisements. Given the…
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Fit to Serve bill wins support from a leading senator
WASHINGTON, DC—The Fit to Serve campaign, designed to allow and encourage the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to hire licensed hearing aid specialists to treat veterans with hearing loss, got a boost when U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) announced on May 8 that he would sponsor the Veterans Hearing Aid Access and Assistance Act…
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Bill would create a demonstration program for deaf/hard-of-hearing U.S. Air Force members
By David H. Kirkwood WASHINGTON, DC—Since its enactment in 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has made public accommodations, telecommunications technology, and the workplace more accessible to countless people with hearing loss. For example, just last month, the New York Police Department, following the lead of departments around the country, opened its…
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