ASHA, AAA, ADA pursuing meaningful hearing health care for Medicare beneficiaries
 

On December 12, 2019, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3, which includes Section 602 entitled, “Providing Coverage for Hearing Care under the Medicare Program” [PDF]. Section 602 of the bill adds new hearing benefits, including hearing aids, for Medicare beneficiaries with severe to profound hearing loss and also includes a number of provisions sought by audiologists and consumers.
 

Plans are underway for AuDacity 2020, to be held November 2-4, 2020 at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center near Dallas, Texas.

Cyber Monday Special: Register for AuDacity 2020 today for only $500—and receive more than 30% off the regular rate! This audacious Cyber Monday registration deal is only valid until Midnight tonight (Pacific time).

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 25, 2019

LOS ALTOS, Calif., MENLO PARK, Calif., LEXINGTON, Ky. --- The Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA) is pleased to announce that Jane Baxter, Au.D., and Deborah Clark, Au.D., along with their entire practice, Pacific Hearing Service, were selected by a distinguished panel of their peers to receive the Leo Doerfler Award. The Leo Doerfler Award, the ADA’s most prestigious honor, recognizes a private practice audiologist who has demonstrated outstanding clinical services in the community throughout his or her career.

“The ADA provides vital support and education for us, our audiologists, and the entire hearing healthcare industry,” said Dr. Clark. “It’s exciting to be added to this amazing list of past recipients.”

ADA, AAA, and ASHA continue efforts towards meaningful hearing health care for Medicare beneficiaries

On October 22, 2019, the House Ways and Means Committee passed the Medicare Hearing Act of 2019 (H.R. 4618), as amended. The bill, originally introduced by U.S. Representatives Lucy McBath (D-GA) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI), adds new hearing benefits, including hearing aids, for Medicare beneficiaries with severe to profound hearing loss.

The Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA), the American Academy of Audiology (AAA), and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) worked diligently over the past two weeks to advocate for improvements to H.R. 4618, to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries have meaningful access to hearing related services provided by audiologists consistent with the Medicare Audiologist Access and Services Act of 2019 (H.R. 4056). We are pleased to report that, with the help of H.R. 4056 Congressional sponsors and cosponsors and the House Ways and Means Committee, H.R. 4618 was amended to include a number of the provisions in H.R. 4056.

We are just over a month away from AuDacity 2019, where audiologists, students, staff, and other advocates from around the country will join us in Washington D.C. on November 14th as we advocate for the Medicare Audiologist Access and Services Act (MAASA). There is still time to register and join us on Capitol Hill for our 2019 Lobby Day. Your legislators need to hear from you about the impact this much needed reform will have on your patients.

The Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA) is pleased to announce that the following Fellow members have been elected to serve on the ADA Board of Directors:

Tomorrow begins National Audiology Awareness Month on October 1st, a perfect segue from the September introduction of the Medicare Audiologist Access and Services Act (MAASA) (S. 2446) in the U.S. Senate! S. 2446, strongly endorsed by members of ADA, AAA, ASHA, and HLAA, is championed by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), along with Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Roger Wicker (R-MS). The bill is identical to companion legislation (H.R. 4056), introduced by Representative Tom Rice (R-SC) and Representative Matt Cartwright (D-PA) on July 25th in the U.S. House of Representatives. View a list of cosponsors here.

Promoting National Audiology Awareness Month and National Protect Your Hearing Month throughout October doesn’t have to be scary or overwhelming. Take advantage of print, post, and present-ready resources from ADA and other great sources and take your community outreach efforts from ghoulish to great!

We here at ADA headquarters have fielded some questions from our members about AuDacity 2019 and the Medicare Audiologist Access and Services Act (MAASA) H.R. 4056/S. 2446 Lobby Day. It is in that spirit we give you,

Who, What, When, Where, Why:
Lobby Day 2019

ADA is pleased to announce that, upon their return to the U.S. Senate yesterday after the August recess, U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Rand Paul (R-KY), Roger Wicker (R-MS), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) introduced the Medicare Audiologist Access and Services Act of 2019 (S. 2446) to remove unnecessary barriers to timely, evidence-based, and cost-effective audiologic care for millions of Medicare beneficiaries. S. 2446 is identical to companion legislation H.R. 4056, which was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman Tom Rice (R-SC) on July 25, 2019.