Committee hears testimony on bill package that would remove dealer-level licensure for hearing aids

The Michigan House Health Policy Committee heard testimony on a package of bills that would eliminate the state hearing aid dealer license and change how prescriptive hearing aids are dispensed.

The bills (introduced as part of a “reduce red tape” package) would remove a two-tier state licensure structure that currently distinguishes between hearing aid salespersons and dealers. Proponents said the change would reduce delays and paperwork; opponents — including licensed hearing instrument specialists and a medical witness — said removing the dealer license would reduce access to prescriptive hearing aids and harm patients.

Representative (sponsor not specified in transcript) introduced the package and said the effort is “to make Michigan a top state to live, to work, to raise a family,” adding that current licensure requirements can take “over 2 years” and “bog down the system.” The sponsor also said hearing aid prescriptions are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and suggested the state license provides limited additional benefit.

Aaron Toth, who identified himself as a licensed hearing aid specialist in Michigan since 1995, told the committee that a 2022 FDA reclassification requires a prescription for prescriptive hearing aids and that the prescription must come from a state-licensed practitioner. “If Michigan eliminates the hearing aid dealer's license or sales license ... I will no longer be authorized to provide my patients with prescriptive hearing aids,” Toth said. He added that about “roughly 50% of the prescriptive hearing aids currently dispensed in Michigan are dispensed by hearing aid specialists like myself.”

A second witness, identified as the president of the Michigan Hearing Aid Society (name given in the public-comment list), described clinical risks and argued licensure supports detection of medical “red flags” during testing. “Hearing loss is the number 1 manageable cause for dementia,” the witness told the committee, citing studies reported in JAMA and NIH summaries and urging the committee not to remove licensure.

Witnesses described technical and clinical tasks performed during hearing exams: pure-tone testing, bone conduction tests, word-recognition testing and other measures that, they said, require training to identify conditions that should prompt medical referral. They also said many licensed specialists provide free or low-cost testing and that licensed providers participate in third-party payment programs; removing licensure could affect reimbursement and in-network access.

The committee accepted written testimony and submitted cards from organizations not wishing to speak, including the Mackinac Center, the Economic Alliance of Michigan, Henry Ford Health, the Michigan Nurses Association and Michigan Audiology.

No formal vote on the hearing-aid package occurred during this meeting; the committee proceeded to other bill discussions after testimony.