Rep. McCarthy Leading Bipartisan Push to Help Americans with Hearing Loss

Press Release

After introducing legislation to help hearing-impaired seniors and children with the costs of hearing aids since 2007, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) is now teaming up with a colleague from the House Republican Majority in a bipartisan effort to get the critical measure passed.

Reps. McCarthy and Tom Latham (R-IA) introduced the Hearing Aid Assistance Tax Credit Act, HR 1479, on Tuesday. The legislation provides a non-refundable $500 tax credit for the purchase of hearing aids, subject to an upper income eligibility cap, for people 55 and older and for children and other dependents.

The bill has been introduced with 36 original co-sponsors, including four members of the House Ways and Means Committee. The bill is unchanged from the version Rep. McCarthy introduced in the 111th Congress, when it attracted 131 co-sponsors by the end of the session.

"Hearing loss is an impairment that threatens the health and safety of millions of Americans of all ages every day," Rep. McCarthy said. "I've fought for years to combat this problem and am proud to work with my colleagues across the aisle to help make sure more of us can hear clearly."

"Most insurance plans don't cover hearing aids, and the high costs of treatment prevent a majority of hearing impaired Americans from buying them," Rep. Latham said. "This legislation addresses a serious problem for millions of Americans across the country in an affordable and measured way that has attracted widespread bipartisan support."

A story published in USA Today in late March reported that 36 million Americans have some degree of hearing loss, and that number will continue to grow as so-called "baby boomers" continue to age. The story is available at the following address:

http://yourlife.usatoday.com/health/story/2011/03/Hearing-loss-is-incredibly-common-/45099370/1

The average cost for a hearing aid is more than $1,675 per ear, and nearly 80 percent of people require two devices, according to the Better Hearing Institute. The institute estimates that 95 percent of people with hearing loss could be successfully treated with hearing aids, but only about 25 percent of people with hearing loss seek the treatment. Most health insurance plans, including Medicare, exclude coverage for hearing aid purchases.

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