Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
Veterans Hearing Aid Improvement Act of 2026
A Republican bill with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See all 3 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Veterans Hearing Aid Improvement Act of 2026 directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to start a two-year demonstration project. This project will evaluate the fiscal impact of covering FDA-cleared, over-the-counter hearing aids for certain veterans. To be eligible, veterans must be enrolled in the VA system, have a determination from an audiologist for mild-to-moderate hearing loss, and have access to mobile technology. The project will compare over-the-counter aids against professionally fitted prescription hearing aids across at least two different medical facilities. Additionally, the Comptroller General is tasked with conducting a study regarding hearing aid assistance and medical coverage for veterans with mild-to-moderate hearing loss.
Yes· 3 of 5
- Scored +6
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?
The bill provides a path to evaluate and potentially expand hearing aid coverage for veterans with mild-to-moderate hearing loss.
- Scored +6
Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive?
The bill seeks to improve hearing aid access for veterans through a demonstration project evaluating over-the-counter options.
- Scored +5
Does this make health care easier to get in general?
The bill establishes a demonstration project to evaluate covering over-the-counter hearing aids to potentially improve access for veterans with mild-to-moderate hearing loss.
The opposite
- Scored -1
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?
The bill directs the Secretary to evaluate the fiscal impact of covering over-the-counter hearing aids, which may involve new coverage costs.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Evaluating new coverage options: The demonstration project aims to evaluate the fiscal impact of covering FDA-cleared, over-the-counter hearing aids (Section 2(a)).
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Targeted assistance for hearing loss: The project includes veterans who have been clinically determined by an audiologist to need an over-the-counter hearing aid for mild-to-moderate hearing loss (Section 2(c)(2)(A)).
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Reducing access barriers: The Secretary is directed to select medical facilities that have a demonstrated ability to reduce access barriers and serve a diverse population in both rural and urban settings (Section 2(d)).
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Measuring actual benefits: The project will measure self-reported benefits and speech recognition in noise to evaluate effectiveness (Section 2(f)).
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Future program improvements: The Comptroller General's study is intended to provide recommendations on changes to programs and benefits to meet the needs of veterans with mild-to-moderate hearing loss (Section 3(c)(2)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Technology requirements: To be eligible for the project, a veteran must have access to a mobile phone device and mobile data or Wi-Fi to operate the hearing aid functionality (Section 2(c)(3)).
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Clinical restrictions: Veterans cannot participate if an audiologist determines they have red flag conditions or contraindications for over-the-counter hearing aid use (Section 2(c)(2)(B)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — The bill provides a path to evaluate and potentially expand hearing aid coverage for veterans with mild-to-moderate hearing loss. Would people over 65 be better off under this? — The bill targets hearing aid assistance which often benefits older populations like veterans. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The bill requires the Secretary to select facilities with an ability to serve both rural and urban settings.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive? — The bill seeks to improve hearing aid access for veterans through a demonstration project evaluating over-the-counter options.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The bill establishes a demonstration project to evaluate covering over-the-counter hearing aids to potentially improve access for veterans with mild-to-moderate hearing loss.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — The bill directs the Secretary to evaluate the fiscal impact of covering over-the-counter hearing aids, which may involve new coverage costs.
- 4/14/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 1/29/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Chuck GrassleyRepublican · Iowa
Adam SchiffDemocrat · California
Tim SheehyRepublican · Montana