This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to launch a two-year demonstration project testing whether over-the-counter hearing aids, if FDA-cleared, can be covered for eligible veterans with mild-to-moderate hearing loss. The project would run at two or more VA medical facilities and would compare the effectiveness and cost of over-the-counter hearing aids against traditionally prescribed hearing aids fitted by audiologists, with results measured through both patient self-reporting and clinical assessments. Eligible veterans must be enrolled in VA health care, have a clinical determination of need from an audiologist, and have access to a mobile device to operate the hearing aids. The VA Secretary must submit an interim report after one year and a final report within six months of the project's conclusion, evaluating the fiscal impact of potentially providing permanent coverage for over-the-counter hearing aids. Additionally, the bill requires the Government Accountability Office to study hearing aid coverage for veterans with mild-to-moderate hearing loss and submit recommendations within 18 months of enactment.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.