Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) has introduced a bill to assist in coverage of hearing aids for seniors. The Senator's Medicare Hearing Enhancement and Auditory Rehabilitation (HEAR) Act is intended to help more than one-third of seniors who require hearing aids by covering the devices under Medicare.

"The Medicare program helps Americans live longer, healthier lives. It should also enhance the quality of life for seniors by covering hearing aids," Brown said in a press release on his website. "Too many seniors go without hearing aids because they cannot afford them. Hearing impairment is a health and quality of life issue, and Medicare must be improved to cover hearing aids and other treatment options."

In the legislation, S. 1837, exclusion from coverage would be eliminated. National coverage determinations for hearing aids under title XVIII of the Social Security Act would be based on the coverage offered by other federal benefit programs, such as the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense, in consultation with hearing health professionals and trade organizations. (The Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs cover hearing aids for beneficiaries). The bill has now been referred to the Committee on Finance.
According to Senator Brown's press release, 30 percent of adults age 65-74 and 47 percent of adults over the age of 75 have a hearing impairment. Currently, the federal Medicare program--which covers disabled Americans and seniors over the age of 65--excludes hearing aids from its basic coverage. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders estimates about 17 percent (36 million) American adults report some degree of hearing loss; age and reported hearing loss are also closely related. Senator Brown says only one out of five Americans who could benefit from a hearing aid actually wears one.

Because the Medicare program does not cover hearing aids, seniors must purchase supplemental coverage or pay out-of-pocket, Brown says. Costs for hearing aids in the U.S. range from about $500 to $5,000.

Adapted in part from a press release from Senator Brown.

Link: http://brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press_releases/release/?id=A4DD257A-09F1-4D99-829A-86B2485FFDEC

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