Support the Veterans Hearing Aid Improvement Act, S.3739
Hearing loss and tinnitus are the most common service-connected disabilities, affecting nearly three million service members. Despite the proliferation of FDA-approved over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) does not yet cover them for veterans. The bipartisan Veterans Hearing Aid Improvement Act of 2026 (S. 3739) would direct the VA to launch a two-year demonstration project to evaluate the health benefits and cost savings of covering them for eligible veterans with mild-to-moderate hearing loss. The results would be compared to the outcomes associated with audiologist-fitted prescription hearing aids.
The bill also calls for a Government Accountability Office (GSO) study on hearing-aid benefits and coverage effectiveness for mild-to-moderate hearing loss, with findings reported to Congress.