AMERICAN ACADEMY OF AUDIOLOGY SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATES FOR EHDI FUNDING

(June 10, 2005) Yesterday, the House Labor, HHS Appropriations Subcommittee completed the markup of the FY 2006 spending bill. We are pleased to report that the House Labor, HHS Appropriations Subcommittee agreed to provide the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) with $10 million for the Universal Newborn Hearing program. This funding had been eliminated in the President's FY 2006 Budget Request and it is because of the successful advocacy efforts by the Academy and others in the hearing health community, as well as the support of both Rep. Jim Walsh (R-NY) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), that restored this valuable funding.

This bill funds programs under the Department of Health and Human Services. The bill includes funds for health information technology, telehealth, rural health programs, nursing programs, the Ryan White AIDS program, NIH research, Medicaid, the Part D drug benefit and Medicare reform, the White House Conference on Aging, and FDA. The bill has to be marked up the by the Full Committee before the full House votes on the bill. The Senate Appropriations Committee has not yet scheduled action on the bill.