Did you know that withholding medically necessary prescription hearing aids from children in public schools is a direct violation of The Americans with Disabilities Act? 

On behalf of the Hearing Loss Foundation, we are advocating for children with hearing loss who need prescription hearing aids for crucial brain and language development.  Access to sound is a human right; the ability to have access to sound to hear the teacher in a public school classroom should not be a financially regulated choice governed by health insurance carriers- it's a human need and a medical necessity. 

Children like my young son, who have severe to profound bilateral hearing loss, require hearing aids to hear in everyday life.  Hearing aid coverage for a life-necessity is a fight we've been advocating for since he was born. Like him, every child needs access to sound and the ability to hear. Unfortunately, the cost of hearing aids can reach up to $18,000 with FM microphone amplification (2019 receipt from Boston Children's Hospital billed to Anthem, with 20% cost-share) a price too steep for many families who cannot afford private insurance. 

Many states offer Medicaid coverage every 3 years for hearing aids; however, that isn't enough.  Growing children need a back-up set of hearing aids, as well as a first set, for purposes such as sending in the hearing aids back to the manufacturer for repair.  Other reasons for needing a set of hearing aids per year is that hearing loss may increase over time, which would make the current set of hearing aids not powerful enough to support the severity of hearing loss.  Another factor is that sweat and moisture from weather or playtime can damage hearing aids, cause the battery to die, leaving a child without sound until the hearing aid dries out.  Over time, moisture causes hearing aid battery doors to rust, thus needing to be sent in for repair and leaving the child without access to sound for 2-3 weeks.  It is medically necessary to have annual hearing tests to ensure amplification is sufficient- in addition to testing, children outgrow hearing aids quickly; they no longer fit a child's natural ear development from baby to elementary school, resulting in a need for a new pair of hearing aids before insurance allows it. 

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) aims at ensuring equal opportunities for individuals with disabilities. However, it falls short when it comes to mandating health insurance coverage in every state for hearing aids at 100%, without any maximum or limitation.

This lack of coverage directly impacts children's right to Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 504 Title II, as well as their rights under the No Child Left Behind Act. If children cannot hear their teachers clearly in classrooms due to inadequate or non-existent hearing aids, they are being left behind.

We are calling on policymakers across all states to strengthen ADA by mandating health insurance coverage that fully covers the cost of medically necessary prescription hearing aids. This will ensure that no child aged between 0-21 years is denied their right to education due to financial constraints related to their healthcare needs.

Access to sound is a human right! By signing this petition, we are advocating for immediate policy change with an executive order to mandate prescription hearing aid coverage at 100% no exclusions, no limitations, in all 50 United States.  

Every child deserves an equal opportunity at education and life - let's make sure they get it by signing this petition today!  Thank you for your support in helping children hear. 

Sophia Melisaratos

Founder | The Hearing Loss Foundation

email: info@hearinglossfoundation.org

www.hearinglossfoundation.org