LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Representative Dale Zorn (R-Onsted) unveiled legislation aimed at providing additional resources and aides for school children up to 19 years of age in the state suffering from hearing impairments. 

“Much like the loss of vision, hearing disabilities create a profound disadvantage for the development of our Michigan youth,” Rep. Zorn said. “It is estimated that 30 out of every 1,000 school age children struggle with hearing loss that affects their education and their lifetime.” 

MORE NEWS: Looking to Sit Down on the Job? Michigan Lawmakers Want to Help.

Under House Bills 4944 and 4963, Rep. Zorn and co-sponsor Rep. Samantha Steckloff (D-Farmington Hills) offer additional insurance coverage to children up to the age of 19.  Under the first bill, beneficiaries would have: coverage for hearing aids for the treatment of hearing loss, hearing service and devices up to 19 years of age, and up to $3000 per hearing aid every 36 months according to Rep. Zorn.  

Under HB 4963, Rep. Steckloff’s bill would provide hearing related services including: audiological examinations, hearing aid evaluation and maintenance or repairs, and audiologist and speech language pathology services. 

“Hearing aids are not a cosmetic choice, and just as eyeglasses are covered by insurance to assist in vision, we believe it is our moral and societal responsibility to extend similar support for hearing-impaired children,” Rep. Steckloff said in a statement. “Indeed, approximately four hundred children are born in Michigan every year with hearing impairments or will develop one before starting school. We aim to ensure that every child under the age of 19 in Michigan has access to the tools they need to succeed.” 

One of these children who has grown up and experienced the challenges of hearing loss and advocate for better services for children, former Miss Michigan, KT Maviglia-Morgan, who has sensorineural-hearing loss requiring the use of hearing aids. 

“Growing up i know what it’s like and what it was like for my family to have to pay $5000 each time I needed new hearing aids,” she said adding, “My family was able to make it work even though it was very difficult for them; however, there are many families in Michigan where this is not an option – children are going to school without the proper hearing devices. Hearing aids are not cosmetic, they are necessary, they are necessary devices for children to get a fair shot at their education.” 

Ms. Maviglia shared her optimism for Michigan to pass the legislation and join the more than 25 other states who have passed or are in the process of voting on similar legislation. 

MORE NEWS: Election Day is Here: What You Need to Know

Sid Kraizman shared some of the research investigating the positive effects of early testing for hearing impairment, adding a personal anecdote about his experience discovering via late testing for his daughter – at 21 months of age – significant hearing loss to both ears. 

“It’s very important to pass this bill, these children will receive hearing aids and appropriate hearing related services,” he said, “Then they can develop speech and language at the same level as their typically developing peers.” 

The legislation has been in development starting in 2012, and in 2015, then Senator Zorn introduced the legislation, but it went too far according to Rep. Zorn. 

“The key here is that we’re gonna be affecting kids in their developmental ages, once they graduate from high school we really lose all opportunities to help them, “ he said, “So this is going to be prior to them leaving school.” 

Rep. Zorn acknowledges that the hearing testing going on today is the best it’s ever been, but that because the problem has been identified, “we have to take care of the problem. 

“Just like eyeglasses, if you can’t see, you can’t read,” Rep. Zorn said in an interview with Michigan News Source, “If you can’t hear, you can’t learn your instructions. ”