Fellow Americans, Lend Me Your Ear!

Statement

I am the original co-sponsor of a bill in the House of Representatives called the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act. In short, for those suffering from minor hearing loss, the bill would make hearing aids more affordable and easier to get.

For some, this bill may seem irrelevant. But for the roughly 48 million Americans suffering from hearing loss, this bill could change lives. The facts are clear:

So, I decided it was a good idea to support a bill that allows more people to get the help they need. Recently, however, this commonsense bill has fallen under attack by an ugly foe: plain, unfounded partisan rhetoric. You may have seen the ads railing against it, and many of you have called to express your concerns with this ad.

The claims made in this ad are false and misleading.

The bottom line is, this is a fiscally conservative policy that increases choice and lowers costs through competition…for all who suffer.

But don't take my word for it, read what others have said about this commonsense bill:

"Opening the market to OTC hearing aids would force the industry to cut prices and compete head-to-head against newer technologies. For a bill that is virtually an archetype for market-based health care reform, continued conservative opposition communicates a distressing case of partisanship over principle."
Samuel Hammond
Poverty and Welfare Analyst at the Niskanen Center

"AARP believes your bill will improve consumers' access to affordable hearing technologies that can improve their daily living."

Joyce Rogers
Senior Vice President for Government Affairs, AARP

"This would seem to be a no-brainer. It would drive down prices for all hearing devices by increasing choice and competition."
The Washington Times, 6/11/2017

"The approval of over-the-counter hearing aids will also cut through the red tape and confusing federal, state and local regulations that currently make purchasing a hearing aid intimidating even for those who can afford them. As hearing aids become more affordable and easier to purchase, HLAA believes that far more Americans will take advantage of them."
Barbara Kelley
Executive Director, Hearing Loss Association of America

"We feel this legislation will allow us to create innovative solutions to provide greater access and lower cost for millions of Americans."
Mark Gorder
President & CEO, IntriCon

"The best part of this over-the-counter scenario: Instead of spending an average of $1,500 to $2,000 per device (and nearly everyone needs two), you'll find that the price has plummeted. You might pay $300 per ear, maybe even less."
The New York Times, 6/12/2017

"This would help with the out-of-pocket costs many seniors face due to gaps in Medicare coverage for hearing, vision and dental care."
The Leadership Council of Aging Organizations

"This may be the first and last time I've ever been on the side of Elizabeth Warren!"
Stephen Moore
noted conservative writer, economist, and hearing-loss-sufferer

"[This bill] will expand access to quality hearing health products and services, reduce duplicative costs, and remove unnecessary, nonbeneficial barriers to care."
Academy of Doctors of Audiology

Some of the supporters of this bill include:

At the end of the day, this bill addresses a problem that does not discriminate and does not subscribe to one political party or another. At older ages, hearing loss becomes almost universal, affecting more than 60 percent of those in their 70s and nearly 80 percent of those over 80. While we may disagree politically, we shouldn't let good policy perish because we can't hear past hyper-partisan rhetoric.

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