Veterans’ ACCESS Act Amended to Include Hearing Aid Specialist Participation in VA Community Care
FARMINGTON HILLS, MI – July 23, 2025 – The International Hearing Society (IHS) applauds the work of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee to advance language including Hearing Aid Specialists explicitly as participants in the Community Care program run by the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA). Today, the Committee considered the H.R. 740, the Veterans’ ACCESS Act, during which Rep. Tom Barrett (R-MI) offered the amendment language mirroring H.R. 3088, the Veterans Hearing Health Expansion Act. H.R. 3088 would amend the VA Mission Act of 2018 to ensure Hearing Aid Specialist participation.
Rep. Barrett continues to be a champion for ensuring access to care for veterans, “Veterans deserve timely, high-quality health care no matter where they live. Today, the House Veterans Affairs Committee took a step towards that goal by advancing my Veterans Hearing Health Expansion Act. This legislation would expand the VA community care program to finally include licensed Hearing Aid Specialists to be covered by the VA. I’m proud we could come together to send this critical legislation to the House floor and support our hearing-impaired veterans across America. It’s time to finish the job and give our heroes the flexibility they deserve once and for all.”
For IHS, this continues to be another step in the process of increasing awareness of the work Hearing Aid Specialists do and the value they provide to their patients and communities. IHS Executive Director Alissa Parady, CAE, stated, “We are enthusiastic that the Committee continues to consider hearing health to be an important part of healthcare for veterans, building on its past support for integrating hearing aid specialists on the in-house VA team. IHS also appreciates having the support of Congressman Barrett, and we are excited for his continued involvement in securing Veterans’ access to hearing aid specialists through the Community Care program. We look forward to working with other stakeholders on passage of this important bill.”
IHS is hopeful the House of Representatives continues to support meaningful solutions to address the increasing problem within the veteran population of hearing care access, as the Veterans’ ACCESS Act moves through the legislative process. By ensuring access to hearing health professionals such as Hearing Aid Specialists for veterans, no matter where in the country they reside or how close they are to a VA facility, veterans will be able to obtain the assistance they need in a quick and efficient manner.
Rep. Tom Barrett offering the amendment at the committee markup on July 23, 2025.
Resources
1 About Hearing Aid Specialists - International Hearing Society
2 Hearing Aids Statistics 2024 By Manufacturers And Countries
Media Contact:
Sandra den Boer
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International Hearing Society
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E: sdenboer@ihsinfo.org
About the International Hearing Society
The International Hearing Society (IHS) is a membership association that represents hearing healthcare professionals worldwide, including hearing aid specialists. IHS members are engaged in the practice of performing hearing assessments, ordering the use of, selecting, fitting, and dispensing hearing instruments, counseling patients, and providing aftercare services. Founded in 1951, IHS protects, represents, and promotes the interests of hearing healthcare and hearing healthcare professionals. For more information visit www.ihsinfo.org.