Capito’s bipartisan companion bill requires private insurance coverage of hearing aids

U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) on Sept. 8 proposed bipartisan legislation that would require private insurance companies to provide coverage for hearing aids.

“Many of us take for granted the gift of hearing and how often we rely on our senses to effectively communicate with one another,” Sen. Capito said. “It is important that we take the necessary steps to improve our health insurance systems and ensure these critical devices are readily available for those who need them.”

Sen. Capito sponsored Ally’s Act, S. 4532, with cosponsor U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) to ensure private insurance companies specifically cover osseointegrated hearing devices (OIDs), including bone-anchored hearing aids (BAHA) and cochlear implants, according to a bill summary provided by Sen. Capito’s staff.

“OIDs are even more crucial for individuals born with hearing deficiencies, as the first five years of life are important for speech and language development,” said Sen. Capito. “I’m proud to introduce Ally’s Act, which will help establish better access to these critical hearing devices for those that need them.”

S. 4532 is the companion bill to the same-named H.R. 5485, introduced in December 2019 by bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO), who named the measure in honor of Colorado-native Ally Tumblin, 10, who was born without a right ear or hearing canal and required the use of a BAHA. Following an insurance denial for Ally’s hearing device, she and her mother formed the Ear Community organization to help advocate for insurance coverage of these hearing devices.

Along with Ear Community, according to a one-page background document on the bill, numerous supporters also have endorsed the measure, including the American Cochlear Implant Alliance, the American Academy of Audiology, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology, among many others.