Washington, DC— Today, Rep. Lucy McBath (GA-06) and Rep. Debbie Dingell (MI-12) introduced H.R. 4618, the Medicare Hearing Act of 2019, which provides coverage for hearing aids and services for seniors under Part B of the Medicare program. The bill would make hearing devices more accessible for Americans across the nation.

“America’s seniors deserve access to the quality health care they need,” said McBath. “Too many people go without hearing aids because they are too expensive, and I am proud to work toward improving the quality of life of our seniors. I look forward to continuing to work with Rep. Dingell and our colleagues to lower health care costs, improve quality of care, and protect our seniors.”

“Far too many Americans continue to suffer from hearing loss, which can lead to a sense of isolation and other negative health impacts,” said Dingell. “I’m proud to lead this important bill with Representative Lucy McBath to improve coverage for hearing aids under Medicare Part B. This legislation will bring real benefits to many seniors that have hearing loss.”

H.R. 4618 amends the Social Security Act to cover and improve patient access to doctor visits, hearing tests, and hearing aids. These services and items are currently not covered under the Social Security Act or under Medicare. The average price of a single hearing aid is $2,300, according to a 2015 report from the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

###