Barriers to Early Intervention 

11/7/2023

Donna Sorkin spoke at the 2023 ASHA conference on Barriers to Early Intervention. The three general categories of barriers to early intervention that impact on loss to follow up are:  Provider, Patient (child) and Family.

Read the handout of presentation here.

Passage of the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2022 

12/7/2022

Congress passed and President Biden signed into law the 2022 Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Reauthorization. The new law includes a GAO study on how information is collected, how information is provided vis a vie websites and other formats, and ways to address historically underserved communities. ACI Alliance research helped call attention to the need for oversight of this legislatively mandated information source for families.  In addition, the FY2023 Omnibus Act included a language change for EHDI that encourages the Health Resources Services Administration (which administers EHDI) to work with partners to advance awareness about the wide range of modalities available for children who are deaf and hard of hearing. The legislation specifically mentions that this includes but is not limited to auditory-oral therapy, auditory-verbal therapy, Signed Exact English (SEE), American Sign Language (ASL), Total Communication (TC), and Cued Speech; as well as a full range of assistive hearing technologies, such as hearing aids and cochlear implants.

Read the full bill here. 

ACI Alliance Submits Comments on EHDI 

7/18/2022

ACI Alliance submitted comments on the recent HRSA call for information on future program development of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Program. We are longtime supporters of EHDI as it is one of the most crucial programs for identifying and supporting children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families.  Our comments address the need for additional support from HRSA to EHDI programs for distribution of accurate, unbiased information to parents; improving family to family support, and engagement of medically underserved communities. 

Read the comments here.

Senate Introduces Bipartisan EHDI Reauthorization Bill

4/12/2022

Following on the House passage, the Senate has introduced S. 4052, a bipartisan reauthorization of the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program. The bill reauthorizes the newborn hearing screening program and early intervention services for children who are diagnosed with a hearing loss. Similar to the House bill, H.R. 5561, it includes a requirement for a GAO study to analyze how information disseminated by state EHDI programs are relied upon by parents and identify ways to address disparities in outreach to families. ACI Alliance recently reviewed the state EHDI websites and found significant variation in the critical information provided via these important electronic information sources. The Senate version also includes a vitally needed increase in funds for Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) which provides grants to run state EHDI programs. ACI Alliance will continue to support and track this key legislation.

Read Senator Portman’s press release on the bill here.

ACI Alliance Joins Other Associations in Asking Senate to Advance EHDI Reauthorization

3/9/2022

ACI Alliance recently joined other associations in sending a letter to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pension (HELP) Committee on the reauthorization of the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) reauthorization.  EHDI provides the crucial newborn hearing screening program as well as early intervention services. Since the initial passage in 2000, 98% of infants are now screened for hearing loss in the US.  The House of Representatives passed the reauthorization in December 2021 and we will work with the Senate to ensure passage there in the coming months. 

Support Telehealth Permanence under Medicare

11/29/2021

Legislation allowing audiologists, speech language pathologists, and others to continue providing telehealth services under Medicare was introduced in both the US House and Senate. ACI Alliance supports these efforts.  Waivers to provide telehealth will expire once the public health emergency due to COVID-19 ends. These bi-partisan bills will allow the waivers to be permanent thereby allowing hearing health professionals to continue to provide CI and other hearing health needed services. To let your Member of the US House Representatives know you support this bill, click here. To let your US Senator know, click here.

Support Early Intervention Reauthorization

11/17/2021

The Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Act of 2021 passed unanimously out of the Energy and Commerce Committee as H.R. 5561 on November 17th and awaits a full vote by the US House of Representatives. The EHDI program provides funding for infant screening programs and early intervention services for children with hearing loss. We are working with the appropriate Senate staff on a bill, collaborating with related organizations. Please let your Member of Congress know that you support EHDI and improved funding for the program by clicking here.

12/8/2021

ACI Alliance Applauds Passage of the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2021 in the U.S. House of Representatives

WORK BEGINS ON EHDI REAUTHORIZATION BILL

11/8/2021

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health unanimously passed the bipartisan Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) reauthorization bill on November 4, 2021. The bill was last reauthorized in 2017; it provides funding for Universal Newborn Hearing Screening and related state early intervention programs. During the hearing, Congresswoman Matsui (D, CA-6) stated she was pleased to once again support the bill but remains concerned about gaps in services for racial and ethnic minorities and a need to improve CDC technical oversight of the program. 

The bill now moves to the full House Energy Committee. ACI Alliance remains dedicated to working with our allies in ensuring appropriate funding for EHDI programs that provide unbiased family services to children who are deaf or hard of hearing. 

Along with members of Friends of the Congressional Hearing Health Caucus, ACI Alliance supported funding increases for the EHDI program. Read more here.

ACI Alliance submits comments on Early Intervention program

01/11/2019

ACI Alliance submitted comments on the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Program emphasizing the need for professionals to provide complete and accurate information on options and to support Parent Choice.

Click here to read PDF

Early Intervention Act Signed Into Law

10/19/2017

American Cochlear Implant Alliance is pleased to announce that on Wednesday, October 18, the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Act (S. 652) was signed into law by President Trump. The bill had earlier passed the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. The EHDI Act is bipartisan legislation that will help ensure continued funding and support for early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of hearing loss in newborns, infants, and young children. The full text of the legislation can be found HERE.

ACI Alliance strongly supported this legislation and worked closely with the bill’s champions in the House (Representatives Brett Guthrie, R-KY and Doris Matsui, D-CA) and in the Senate (Senators Rob Portman, R-OH and Tim Kaine, D-VA) to advance the bill through Congress. ACI Alliance worked on language that was incorporated into the legislation emphasizing the importance of parents receiving accurate and comprehensive information about the hearing technology and communication options available to their child. The bill expands EHDI-related grants to include children younger than three, in addition to newborns and infants.

ACI Alliance will be tracking the impact of the law on access to cochlear implants and how parents and children are informed of their technology and communication options. Cochlear implant centers and other clinics for young children will be instrumental in gathering important data around access to care. Members are advised that ACI Alliance will be providing resources regarding this data collection in the future.

ACI Alliance thanks our bill champions in Congress as well as our coalition partners, members, and advocates for their work to pass this needed legislation.