Skip to content
The American Academy of Audiology
  • Practice Resources
    • Practice Guidelines and Standards
    • Reimbursement
    • Coding
    • Compliance
    • Public Awareness
    • State Medicaid
    • Medicare FAQs
    • COVID-19 Resources
  • Education and Events
    • Event Calendar
    • AAA Annual Conference
    • Academy Research Conference (ARC)
    • Continuing Education
    • eAudiology Online Learning
    • Research Grants and Scholarships
  • News and Publications
    • Audiology Today
    • Newsroom
    • Journal of the American Academy of Audiology
    • Advertising
    • Audiology Solutions Network
    • Online Store
  • Careers
    • Career Center
    • Certification
    • Become an Audiologist
    • Doctoral Programs in Audiology
    • Recruiting
    • Resources for New Audiologists
  • Advocacy
    • Legislative and Regulatory Activities
      • State Affairs
      • Federal Affairs
    • Legislative Action Center
    • Government Relations News
  • About the Academy
    • Contact Us
    • Academy Membership
      • Benefits
      • Ethics
      • Member Directory
      • Membership Renewals
    • Leadership
    • Committees and Task Forces
    • Get Involved
    • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
    • Honors and Awards
    • Sponsorships and Corporate Partners
    • Press and Media Information
  • Audiology Community
  • Consumers
    • What Is an Audiologist
    • Hearing and Balance Symptoms and Conditions
    • Managing Hearing Loss
    • Seniors and Hearing Loss
    • Children and Hearing Loss
FacebookTwitterLinkedinYoutubeInstagram
  • Audiology Community
  • Students
  • Get Involved
  • Donate
  • Renew
The American Academy of Audiology
Member Login
  • Practice Resources
    • Practice Guidelines and Standards
    • Reimbursement
    • Coding
    • Compliance
    • Public Awareness
    • State Medicaid
    • Medicare FAQs
    • COVID-19 Resources
  • Education and Events
    • Event Calendar
    • AAA Annual Conference
    • Academy Research Conference (ARC)
    • Continuing Education
    • eAudiology Online Learning
    • Research Grants and Scholarships
  • News and Publications
    • Audiology Today
    • Newsroom
    • Journal of the American Academy of Audiology
    • Advertising
    • Audiology Solutions Network
    • Online Store
  • Careers
    • Career Center
    • Certification
    • Become an Audiologist
    • Doctoral Programs in Audiology
    • Recruiting
    • Resources for New Audiologists
  • Advocacy
    • Legislative and Regulatory Activities
      • State Affairs
      • Federal Affairs
    • Legislative Action Center
    • Government Relations News
  • About the Academy
    • Contact Us
    • Academy Membership
      • Benefits
      • Ethics
      • Member Directory
      • Membership Renewals
    • Leadership
    • Committees and Task Forces
    • Get Involved
    • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
    • Honors and Awards
    • Sponsorships and Corporate Partners
    • Press and Media Information
  • Audiology Community
  • Consumers
    • What Is an Audiologist
    • Hearing and Balance Symptoms and Conditions
    • Managing Hearing Loss
    • Seniors and Hearing Loss
    • Children and Hearing Loss
wave-mark-white
June 8, 2020

Express Your Concerns About Legislation Requiring Technical Qualifications and Mandated Hiring of Hearing Instruments Specialists in the VA

  • Government Relations News

Visit the Academy Legislative Action Center to Contact Your Elected Representatives About H.R. 6612/S.785.  

H.R. 6612 and one section of S.785 would require the VA Secretary to prescribe technical qualifications to be appointed as a “licensed hearing aid specialist” within the VA by a date certain and the appointment of at least one such individual at each VA Medical Center within two years.

The legislation would require that the technical qualifications for a “licensed hearing aid specialist” be consistent with the Department of Labor (DOL) hearing instrument apprenticeship program and the core task competencies for hearing instrument specialists as determined by the Occupational Information Network Database (ONET).

The DOL apprenticeship program has no has no minimum number of training hours required for completion and the ONET database is not designed to appropriate to determine the specific skills and competencies needed for a specific job within a specific organization—like the VA.

The VA currently has the authority to hire hearing instrument specialists as needed.  The mandates outlined in this legislation could impede the VA’s ability to evaluate and deploy scarce resources as needed.

Share this

Recent Posts

  • Academy Provides Recommendations to Congress on Remedying Health-Care Workforce Shortages
  • Minnesota Becomes First State to Screen for Viral Infection Connected to Newborn Hearing Loss
  • CMS Releases Updated Guidance on AB Modifier

Related Posts

Remedying Healthcare Workforce Shortages
Government Relations News

Academy Provides Recommendations to Congress on Remedying Health-Care Workforce Shortages

The American Academy of Audiology responded to a request for information issued by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee seeking input on strategies to remedy current health-care workforce shortages. Academy comments urge congressional leaders to approve federal appropriations to fund the recently enacted Allied Health Workforce Diversity Act (AHWD). This funding would…

Read More
Minnesota Becomes First State to Screen for Viral Infection Connected to Newborn Hearing Loss
Government Relations News

Minnesota Becomes First State to Screen for Viral Infection Connected to Newborn Hearing Loss

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) became the first state in the nation to screen all newborns for congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV), a common viral infection that can have serious health effects for children if not detected early. This common virus can lead to hearing loss in about 20 percent of diagnosed cases.   Minnesota passed…

Read More
Government Relations News

CMS Releases Updated Guidance on AB Modifier

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released further guidance for audiologists on billing for services using the AB modifier for limited direct access.  Effective January 1, 2023, the new Medicare policy for limited direct access allows audiologists to see beneficiaries without a physician order for non-acute hearing conditions and to bill 36 CPT codes using…

Read More
wave-mark

Join the Academy

Academy members receive many benefits for professional development, practice management, and community development.

Become a Member
COMM22-Academy_Website_Graphics-Retina-Celebrating_35_Years (W)-min

American Academy of Audiology
11480 Commerce Park Drive
Suite 220
Reston, VA 20191

Tel: 703-790-8466
Fax: 703-790-8631

  • Practice Resources
    • Practice Guidelines and Standards
    • Reimbursement
    • Coding
    • Compliance
    • Public Awareness
    • State Medicaid
    • Medicare FAQs
    • COVID-19 Resources
  • Education and Events
    • Event Calendar
    • AAA Annual Conference
    • Academy Research Conference (ARC)
    • Continuing Education
    • eAudiology Online Learning
    • Research Grants and Scholarships
  • News and Publications
    • Audiology Today
    • Newsroom
    • Journal of the American Academy of Audiology
    • Advertising
    • Audiology Solutions Network
    • Online Store
  • Careers
    • Career Center
    • Certification
    • Become an Audiologist
    • Doctoral Programs in Audiology
    • Recruiting
    • Resources for New Audiologists
  • Advocacy
    • Legislative and Regulatory Activities
      • State Affairs
      • Federal Affairs
    • Legislative Action Center
    • Government Relations News
  • About the Academy
    • Contact Us
    • Academy Membership
      • Benefits
      • Ethics
      • Member Directory
      • Membership Renewals
    • Leadership
    • Committees and Task Forces
    • Get Involved
    • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
    • Honors and Awards
    • Sponsorships and Corporate Partners
    • Press and Media Information
  • Audiology Community
  • Consumers
    • What Is an Audiologist
    • Hearing and Balance Symptoms and Conditions
    • Managing Hearing Loss
    • Seniors and Hearing Loss
    • Children and Hearing Loss
  • Audiology Community
  • Students
  • Donate
  • Get Involved
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Antitrust Policy and Guidelines
  • Terms of Use Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Sitemap

© Copyright 2023 American Academy of Audiology

Website by Yoko Co

Scroll To Top