Helping Children Hear
Amanda Womac

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, hearing loss is one of the most frequently occurring birth defects and approximately 3 infants per 1,000 are born with moderate, profound or severe hearing loss. If hearing loss is not detected and treated early, it can impede speech, language and cognitive development. Over time, such a delay can lead to significant educational costs and learning difficulties.

Because of the importance of early detection, 36 states have passed legislation that requires hearing screening for newborns, including Tennessee.

Hearing aids can be a big help for children with a hearing loss, but are cost-prohibitive for many families because the average cost for a set of aids is around $3,500. Most insurance companies do not cover the cost of hearing aids, but now there is hope for hearing-impaired children in Tennessee.

Gov. Bill Haslam signed a bill into law May 2011 that requires insurance companies to provide coverage up to $1,000 per hearing aid per child every three years. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Doug Overbey, R-Maryville, Sen. Bill Ketron, R-Murfreesboro, and Rep. Richard Montgomery, R-Sevierville.

“Insurance coverage for hearing devices is very important to help make them affordable so these children grow and learn,” said Overbey. “There are many benefits to passing this legislation. If you provide hearing aids in early childhood you save money for therapeutic services and hospitalization down the road. The true savings of allowing children to have hearing aids, however, is that they become active members of their school day one.”

Because of his dedication to the hearing-impaired in Tennessee, representatives of the Hearing and Speech Foundation presented Sen. Overbey with a plaque June 9, 2011. Pictured from left to right are Alan Boeckmann, chairman of the board of directors; John Berry, CEO and co-founder; Sen. Doug Overbey; and Amanda Womac, executive director.