Here is a sample letter you can use to write to
your State legislator to support the Hearing Aid Insurance bill. You
can use it all or customize it to fit your personal experience.
Remember to write; it is an important piece of legislation for all
hard of hearing people. Also please contact your respective chapters
( newsletters? ) to get this letter writing campaign going in earnest.
Dear Honorable ( Assemblyman or Senator )
Legislation has been introduced that would
require health insurance coverage of hearing aids ( Use A04731 if you
are writing to your Assemblyperson) for all New Yorkers. I am writing
to ask you to vote YES for this legislation.
Hearing Aids are extraordinarily important for people
with hearing loss, and they have significant implications for a
person's economic, mental, and physical well being. Studies have
found that people who have significant difficulty communicating are
often under- employed and are more susceptible to a host of emotional
and physical disorders. Thus, the failure to cover hearing aids not
only penalizes people with hearing loss, but also costs the
government significant amounts stemming from under - utilization of
its work force and increased spending on the other needs of employees
with hearing loss. By supporting this bill you are ensuring that all
people will have equal access to communication with their fellow citizens.
We all understand the importance of hearing aids to:
1. Children who need to acquire listening skills in
order to develop spoken language.
2. Students who are in a school environment to achieve
their greatest potential through education.
3. Those in the workplace who need to maintain their
connection to their associates.
4. Senior people who need to interact and socialize
with others through spoken communication.
There are currently one in ten people ( one in
three for those over 65 ) with a hearing problem. It is important
that our nation must begin to work through equitable coverage
policies for aural rehabilitation services and hearing aids in a
concerted manner by both public and private insurance payers.
There is every reason to believe that this would be a very low cost benefit
and should not noticeably affect premium or costs of doing business
for the insurance providers or HMOs. We are only asking that hearing aids
be on the same parity as eye glasses, etc..
Thank you,
your name
Sample letter No.2
Telecommunications Access for
all New Yorkers
Western New York Sample letter (Buffalo Chapter)
I am in support of (S02164, if you are writing
to your senator, A05953 if writing to your Assembly person) legislation that would make telecommunication
equipment for the deaf, hard of hearing and deaf- blind more accessible.
This bill is important to me because it will
mean that I will have access to the equipment I need to talk to my
employer, my family and my friends. This equipment will allow me to
do things that most people simply take for granted.
I really want to emphasize how valuable this law
would be to people who are deaf, hard of hearing and deaf- blind as
well as other people with disabilities. While I realize that these
are difficult times, I urge you to seek funding for your legislation
as the Senate ( or Assembly ) develops its budget proposal.
Thank you for your attention. I look forward to
your reply.
Sincerely yours,
Your name
