Archives for April 2021

In collaboration,The Brånemark Osseointegration Center together with Neoss and supported by The American College of Prosthodontists (ACP) and The European Association for Osseointegration (EAO) are proud to present the 1st Global Osseointegration Day, which honors Per-Ingvar Brånemark, father of osseointegration, and will be held annually on his birthday, May 3rd.

May 3rd is meant to bring awareness to the technology and the treatment of bone anchored hearing devices. May 3rd is also the birthday of Per-Ingvar Brånemark, a Swedish physician and research professor who is known as father of osseointegration and the godfather of bone anchored hearing, because his discoveries enabled the development of today’s bone conduction hearing devices. We look forward to embracing May 3rd, every year, as a celebration of bone anchored hearing technology and bring awareness to the technology and the treatment of bone anchored hearing devices.

Ally Tumblin writing her letter to Congressman Joe Neguse, May 2019.

Please help make Ally’s Act the law, H.R. 477 and S. 41

Two years ago, during May 2019, Ally Tumblin, wrote a letter to Congressman Joe Neguse (D-CO) during Better Hearing and Speech Month as part of a community homework assignment, explaining how the hearing device she hears with is often not covered by private insurance companies. She explained that lots of kids and adults just like her need a bone anchored hearing aid to hear. Ally asked Congressman Neguse to help her advocate to hear better. Well, Congressman Neguse received Ally’s letter and he listened to Ally and wrote her back agreeing to stand by her side and help her advocate to hear better. In fact, just months later, Congressman Neguse introduced a piece of legislation that would help Ally and so many others just like her who require the use of bone anchored hearing aids, including children and adults who require the use of cochlear implants as well! Congressman Neguse introduced Ally’s Act, H.R. 5485, named after Ally for her bravery for standing up for the D/HH community and for being such an inspiration. Last year, Ally’s Act was also introduced to the Senate as S. 4532.

On January 27th, 2021 Ally’s Act was reintroduced to the House, known as H.R. 477. Our original co-sponsors, Congressman David McKinley (R-W.VA) and Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA), both co-chairs for the Congressional Hearing Health Caucus, co-sponsored Ally’s Act again in full support of this piece of legislation. This bill is near and dear to the hearts of many who support Ally’s Act. Congressman Neguse imagined how this would affect him if this were his daughter struggling to hear just like Ally. Congressman McKinley is the only cochlear implant user in all of Congress and his grandson wears a bone anchored hearing aid just like Ally. Ally’s Act was also re-introduced to the Senate during January and is co-led by original co-sponsors Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R- W.VA) and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MASS). Our new Senate bill number for Ally’s Act is S. 41. Ally’s Act is also near and dear to Senator Shelley Moore Capito’s heart as she works along side Congressman McKinley and knows of his struggles with his hearing loss and yet how he has managed to become such an influential law maker for the D/HH community thanks to hearing device technology like cochlear implants. Ally’s Act also matters to Senator Elizabeth Warren as she has supported the D/HH community for years by helping with legislation that would help improve audiology services and passing a bill to help with over the counter (OTC) opportunities for better access to traditional hearing aids.

Ally’s Act, H.R. 477 and S. 41 are bipartisan/bicameral national level bills that were re-introduced on January 25th, 2021 ensuring that private insurance companies provide coverage for osseointegrated hearing devices (OIDs), including Bone Anchored Hearing Aids (BAHA) and Cochlear Implants (CI), for children and adults birth to age 64, including services, upgrades, surgery and associated costs that come along with these devices. If Ally’s Act becomes the law, this bill would help hundreds of thousands of children and adults have access to life changing treatment, allowing them to live the lives they dream, participate in the workplace and community and enjoy a high quality of life.

Please help us make Ally’s Act the law! It takes just 2 minutes to click the following link and write to your local Congressmen and Senators, asking them to support Ally’s Act, H.R. 477 and S. 41. https://www.votervoice.net/EveryLife/1/campaigns/80211/respond

Ally’s Act One-Pager Mar2021 lists background on Ally’s Act, H.R. 477 and S. 41, along with our endorsers.

Here is an interview of Ally with Congressman Neguse and Senator Warren talking about why Ally’s Act, H.R. 477 and S. 41 is needed. Please click on the watch on YouTube icon on the bottom left to access this video in full screen.

We are asking everyone to not only write to your local lawmakers, asking them to co-sponsor Ally’s Act, but if you can contact your local lawmaker’s offices and ask them to schedule a Zoom meeting where you can help educate them on Ally’s Act and tell them why this bill is important to you and matters to your family, a friend or your loved one. After using the link above when writing to your local lawmakers, email Rachel or Melissa at Ear Community with your representative’s names and let us know that you would like to reach out asking them to set up a Zoom meeting and we will be on the Zoom meeting with you! Sometimes, letters are not enough and we need to get in front of our lawmakers, helping educate them about the legislation that matters most to us and why it is needed.
Melissa:  EarCommunity@gmail.com
Rachel:   EC.Rachel9@gmail.com