HLAA Advocacy Needs Your Help
HLAA advocates every day for better access to communication and affordable hearing health care for the 50 million Americans with hearing loss. See what we’ve accomplished lately and how you can support us with current initiatives.
Take Action Today
Reach out to legislators to make your voice heard on key topics impacting hearing loss and community.
Federal Legislation
Support the Medicare Hearing Aid Coverage Act
The Medicare Hearing Aid Coverage Act (H.R. 500), would require Medicare to start covering hearing aids and exams for eligible beneficiaries in 2026. Urge your representative to support this bill.
Tell Congress to Require Coverage for Medically Necessary Hearing Devices
A critical insurance coverage gap for specialized hearing implant devices affects 500,000 children and adults in the U.S. Ask your representative to co-sponsor and support Ally’s Act.
Expand Access to Audiology Services for Seniors
Help make the full scope of hearing health care services available to older adults who need them. Tell Congress to pass the Medicare Audiology Access Improvement Act (H.R. 2757).
Tell Congress to Protect Newborn Hearing Screening Programs
The highly successful Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program supports critical infant screening and treatment for hearing loss. EHDI is now in jeopardy from recent federal funding cuts and budget propositions that threaten states’ ability to maintain these critical programs. Tell Congress to preserve newborn hearing screening.
Demand Equality for Jury Service
Millions of American citizens are excluded from federal jury service due to their age or disability. Tell Congress to pass the Disability and Age in Jury Service Nondiscrimination Act (H.R. 5096).
State Legislation
Support Private Insurance for Hearing Aids
Massachusetts Residents
A proposed bill, MA H3946, would mandate private insurers to cover hearing aids in group employer and individual self-employed plans. Make your voice heard today.
Preserve State Hearing Health Benefits
All States
Funding has been cut for the Medicaid program, which covers medical costs for nearly 80 million low-income Americans. Tell your state representatives to protect and strengthen Medicaid coverage for hearing health benefits.
Recent successes for you
- Provided input to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids rule.
- Worked with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to ensure captioning, among other accommodations, is included on videoconferencing platforms (including telehealth appointments), effective September 2024.
- Led the charge for Hearing Aid Compatible (HAC) phones, starting with landlines in the 1980s. In October 2024, the FCC released its new rule to ensure all mobile phones are hearing aid compatible.
- Championed the FCC’s 2024 requirement to make captioning display settings readily accessible and customizable on televisions and video programming.
- Collaborated with other organizations to get key accessibility provisions included in the 2024 Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act.
- Helped update Florida’s Telecommunications Access System Act (TASA), authorizing advanced and emerging communication technologies for phone users with hearing or speech disabilities.