by Deborah Darcy
Senator Norm Coleman (R-Minnesota) announced introduction of S. 1410, the Hearing Aid Assistance Tax Credit Act, at a luncheon meeting of the Congressional Hearing Health Caucus (CHHC) in May.
Coleman, a CHHC member, spoke candidly about his father's hearing loss and stressed the importance of helping people afford hearing aids. S. 1410 would provide a tax credit of up to $500 toward purchase of hearing aids every five years for seniors 55 and older and for dependents of taxpayers. Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-New York) and Vern Ehlers (R-Michigan) introduced companion legislation (H.R. 2329) in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The May 16 event was part of Better Hearing and Speech Month (BHSM) activities that helped educate members of Congress and their staffs about hearing loss. Hearing screenings were available at the Library of Congress on Capitol Hill, and ASHA provided educational materials and brochures for participants at the "Hearing on the Hill" luncheon hosted by the Hearing Industries Association (HIA).
ASHA is collaborating with consumer groups and service providers to ensure that members of Congress hear the widespread support for the hearing aid tax credit legislation. Other organizations participating in the event included the U.S. Health and Human Service Office on Disability, HIA, the Hearing Loss Association of America, the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and the Better Hearing Institute.
ASHA also helped educate journalists about their hearing and audiology-related issues on May 15 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. ASHA audiologists Karen Beverly-Ducker and Lauren Ero provided hearing screenings to more than 75 journalists and other members of the press corps.
Deborah Darcy, director of grassroots advocacy, can be reached at ddarcy@asha.org.