Representative Shelia Stubbs Statement on Assembly Bill 374 Passage in Assembly

MADISON – WI – Following the passage of Assembly Bill 374 in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Representative Shelia Stubbs released the following statement:

“Today we continue to push the state of Wisconsin forward with the passage of Assembly Bill 374- Relating to the selling and fitting of over-the-counter hearing aids. I would like to thank the Representative Shae Sortwell and Senator Rachael Cabral-Guevara for their leadership and bipartisan collaboration on this bill.

The passage of AB 374 will help to improve affordability, accessibility, equity, inclusivity and a higher quality of life for hearing impaired Wisconsinites. AB 374 will perform the necessary task of updating our state law with regard to selling and fitting over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids to create synergy with federal guidelines regarding this practice. This legislation can ensure that residents in our state possess the ability to be fitted and sold the medical device needed to live, work, and enjoy life comfortably.

Hearing loss affects approximately 48 million Americans. About 500,000 of them are Wisconsin residents. Unfortunately, however, only 1 in 5 people with hearing impairments seek care or treatment for their hearing loss. This is not for lack of concern but instead a lack of access to the resources necessary to treat their symptoms. Which is why OTC hearing aids must be viewed as public health issue, and handled with the utmost importance, and priority, as hearing loss is only projected to incline in both population and severity in the coming decades.

As of October 2022, the FDA now permits the sale of over-the-counter hearing aids to adults with mild to moderate hearing loss. Several states, including Kentucky, Utah, Maryland, Montana, Illinois, Oregon, Virginia, Texas, Minnesota, and Rhode Island, have updated their state statutes to align with the FDA’s reclassification. However, under current law Wisconsin businesses and retail agencies are prohibited from selling or fitting over-the-counter hearing aids.

Assembly Bill 374 makes hearing aids more accessible to consumers and brings Wisconsin law into alignment with the Food and Drug Administration’s reclassification of over-the-counter hearing aids. This bill will allow the sale and fitting of over-the-counter hearing aids without a license. Not only will passage  of AB 374 make hearing aids more affordable, accessible and uphold Wisconsin’s reputation as a Forward state but also it will equally improve health outcomes for generations of Wisconsin residents. Studies from the National Institute for Health and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, concluded that hearing loss leads to greater risk of social isolation, depression, poorer satisfaction with healthcare, and cognitive decline.

It is also important to consider that AB 374 will not only extend access to hearing aids but may also allow people living in Wisconsin to gain access to them earlier to onset which is directly correlated to mitigating symptom progression and negative health effects. By passing this legislation, we could save patients from scheduling additional medical appointments, incurring unexpected expenses, and adding weeks or months to the process of accessing hearing aids. In the words of American physician Leana S. Wen, “Public health is a powerful tool to level the playing field, to bend the arc of our country away from distrust and disparities and towards equity and justice.”

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.