MAAIA Supporters Push for Congressional Action

The Academy, the Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA) and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) facilitated a sign-on letter that went to House and Senate leadership in committees of jurisdiction urging lawmakers to include the Medicare Audiology Access Improvement Act (MAAIA, S.2377, H.6445) in any year-end legislative package. Signed by state audiology and speech-language-hearing associations, as well as the American Tinnitus Association, the letter highlights the key provisions of MAAIA and underscores the vital need to modernize Medicare to support older adults in receiving timely and effective treatment for auditory and vestibular disorders.

The AAA-ADA-ASHA collaborative will continue its pressure on lawmakers to take action during the lame- duck session after the election. Efforts continue to add more co-sponsors to the bill and work with the House Energy and Commerce Committee and Senate Finance Committee, as well as the lead sponsors, to position the bill as best possible for integration in year-end legislation.