Jesse Scheckner
U.S. Reps. Jared Moskowitz and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick want Americans to hear from them. Literally.
The South Florida Democratic lawmakers just signed on as co-sponsors to legislation (HR 500) that would expand Medicare coverage to hearing aids.
Under the measure, dubbed the “Medicare Hearing Aid Coverage Act,” Medicare would no longer exclude hearing aids and associated examinations from its coverage. Today, seniors can’t use their Medicare benefits to pay for hearing aids, which can cost anywhere from $900 to $6,000, according to Healthline.
The bill would also direct the Government Accountability Office to study where federal programs and health insurance coverage do and do not assist with support for hearing loss.
“Hundreds of thousands of Florida seniors depend on hearing aids to go about their daily lives, and meeting that medical necessity shouldn’t be a financial burden,” Moskowitz said in a statement.
“It’s past time that Medicare expand care to cover hearing aids and hearing examinations for our seniors so that they can better access this critical tool.”
Hearing loss affects approximately 48 million Americans, but just 1 in 5 people who would benefit from a hearing aid — the majority of whom are seniors — use one, according to the Hearing Loss Association of America.
The health implications go beyond aural well-being. The American Journal of Public Health found that hospital patients with hearing loss had, on average, a 32% greater chance of hospital readmission within 30 days of discharge. A Health ABC study in 2013 found people with hearing loss were at a 24% greater risk of cognitive impairment. They also suffer from a heightened risk of isolation, depression and dementia.
U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, a Michigan Democrat and the bill’s sponsor, first introduced legislation to expand Medicare coverage to hearing aids in 2015. A prior version of the bill she filed in January 2023 died without a hearing last month.
Passing the measure, she said, would enable more seniors to “live with dignity and independence.”
“Hearing aids aren’t a luxury, they are critical for millions of people,” she said in a statement. “It’s simple: no one should feel isolated, confused, or shut out from the world because they can’t afford hearing aids.”
GOP U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania co-introduced HR 500 with Dingell last week. It’s since attracted 22 cosponsors, though Fitzpatrick remains the only Republican to put his name on the proposal.
He called the current prohibition on hearing aid coverage “outdated” and a cause for an unnecessarily “diminished quality of life” for millions of seniors.
“Hearing loss is more than a medical condition — it’s a barrier to independence, communication, and dignity,” he said in a statement, describing the bill as “a decisive step forward in ensuring our seniors have access to the essential care they need to remain active, engaged, and valued members of our communities.”
The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare supports HR 500.
“Traditional Medicare does not cover hearing aids, but it should,” the organization’s President and CEO, Max Richtman, said in a statement. “No seniors should feel isolated, confused or shut out from the world because they can’t get hearing aids.”
