Academy Supports New Jersey Medicaid Expansion Legislation

The Academy weighed in to support New Jersey Senate Bill 1171, which would expand the state Medicaid program to cover unilateral and bilateral hearing aids, cochlear implants, osseointegrated devices, and related accessories and services for eligible adults. New Jersey adult Medicaid coverage is currently very limited.

While state Medicaid programs are required to provide hearing aid coverage for children under federal Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Testing (EPSDT) regulations, they are not required or mandated to do so for adults (21 and older). At the present time, approximately 27 states provide some degree of adult hearing aid coverage (Medicaid Benefits: Hearing Aids and Other Hearing Devices).

“Expanding Medicaid coverage to provide hearing aids and cochlear implants to the adult population would reap benefits for the beneficiaries and the state alike. Hearing loss has been consistently associated with lower levels of employment and income, as low educational attainment and difficulty communicating may decrease job prospects (Malcolm, Nieman, and Suen, 2022). In addition, individuals who receive a cochlear implant generally increase their median income by $10-12,000 annually and thereby reduce usage of state disability and welfare services (Amoodi et al, 2015),” explains Academy President Bopanna Ballanchanda, PhD, ABA Certified.

References

Amoodi H, Babic S, Clinkard D, Lin V, Shipp D. (2015) The economic and societal benefits of adult cochlear implant implantation: a pilot exploratory study. National Library of Medicine (accessed April 2, 2024).

Malcolm K, Nieman C, Suen J. (2022) Socioeconomic position and hearing loss: current understanding and recent advances. National Library of Medicine (accessed April 2, 2024).