California advocates demand action as Hearing Aid Coverage for Children program falls short

The Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Health and Human Services convened on March 27, 2023, to address critical issues affecting health services in California, with a particular focus on the Hearing Aid Coverage for Children program. The meeting featured testimony from Michelle Marcinik, co-chair and co-founder of Let California Kids Hear, who provided insights into the program's challenges and its impact on families.

Marcinik, who holds a master's degree in Public Health and has extensive experience in health policy, began by expressing gratitude to the committee for their ongoing support of California's deaf and hard of hearing children. She highlighted the program's launch by the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) in July 2021, which aimed to provide hearing aids to children. Notably, eligibility was recently expanded to include underinsured children and those up to age 21.

Despite the program's noble intentions, Marcinik reported concerning statistics. Initially projected to serve 7,000 children, only 170 have received hearing aids since the program's inception. She attributed this low utilization to a slow rollout and inadequate reimbursement codes for pediatric audiology services, which hindered provider participation. Marcinik emphasized that the low numbers should not be used to justify a drastic budget cut from $10 million to $1.6 million, as the need for services remains high.

The subcommittee's discussions underscored the importance of addressing these issues to ensure that California's children receive the necessary support for their hearing needs. The meeting concluded with a commitment to further evaluate the program's effectiveness and explore solutions to improve access to hearing aids for children across the state.