National Audiology Awareness Month

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Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, October is National Audiology Awareness Month. It also happens to be the 3-year anniversary of the bipartisan Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act regulations going into effect. You see this on television now--advertisements for the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act. Before this legislation was passed, there was a whole bunch of redtape you had to go through to buy very expensive hearing aids. Now they are more affordable.

While it took too many years for the Food and Drug Administration to issue these regulations following my bipartisan 2017 law, I am glad Americans now have access to safe, effective, and affordable hearing aids over the counter.

While we have known for years that hearing loss is a major factor in a person getting dementia, it wasn't until recently that we found out that accessing hearing aids can decrease the risk of cognitive decline by nearly half.

For many, purchasing hearing aids presents many questions. That is why accessing audiology services can be helpful.

To access audiology services, like a diagnostic test, under Medicare, a physician's order is required. That requires more time and a great number of hoops to jump through. I want people to know that I support cutting this unnecessary redtape. That is why I partnered with my colleagues to introduce legislation called the Medicare Audiology Access Improvement Act. Our bill will let seniors access a full range of hearing health services provided by licensed audiologists without the redtape.

During Audiology Awareness Month, Americans should be aware that they can access hearing aids over the counter, and Congress is working hard to improve access to those audiology services.

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