Summary: Eric Sandler, ScD, director of audiology at The Hearing Center of Central New Jersey, has been appointed chair of the Audiology Committee of the New Jersey Speech and Hearing Association (NJSHA).
Takeaways:
- Leadership Role: Eric Sandler’s new position as chair of NJSHA’s Audiology Committee follows his significant contributions to legislative advancements in hearing health.
- Grace’s Law Update: Sandler actively participated in revising Grace’s Law to enhance insurance coverage for hearing aids and include cochlear implant processor replacements, benefiting hearing-impaired children in New Jersey.
- Balanced Approach: The updated law, effective April 15, 2024, increases the coverage amount while ensuring political and economic feasibility, maintaining insurer support by aligning with realistic cost considerations.
Eric Sandler, ScD, director of audiology at The Hearing Center of Central New Jersey, has been selected as the new chair of the Audiology Committee of the New Jersey Speech and Hearing Association (NJSHA).
Having recently been recognized in a member spotlight by NJSHA, Sandler played an active role in the 2024 update of Grace’s Law.
About Grace’s Law
Originally passed in 2009 to expand insurance coverage of hearing aids for children, Grace’s law was updated to include obsolete cochlear implant processor replacements to be covered by health insurance in New Jersey.
Cochlear implants utilize an implanted electrode array to bypass the damaged portion of a significantly hearing impaired ear. Without a functional external processor, the internal portion of the device provides no function. External processors are constantly improving with technological advancements, and are considered obsolete after a useful life of 5-10 years.
The original Grace’s law covered $1,000 per hearing-impaired ear, every two years. Hearing aids generally do not need to be replaced after two years, and most pediatric hearing aids come with a 5-year manufacturer warranty. Sandler was part of the team that suggested to New Jersey legislators to modify the language of the new law to increase the amount covered to $2,500 per hearing impaired ear, every five years. This allows families to have a larger portion of the hearing aid expense to be covered, while not increasing the cost to insurance companies over a five-year period.
“Throughout the process we recognized that there are political and economic realities that we have to contend with,” says Sandler. “We wanted to make sure that the needs of hearing-impaired children were met, in a way that would be politically acceptable and also unobjectionable by insurance companies. We realized if something greatly increased their costs, then they would be likely to object, so we came up with terms that we thought were an effective compromise.”
It was a process of internal discussions and meetings with legislative staffers to make this updated law a reality. Sandler also recognized “everyone on the audiology committee at NJSHA that put in a tremendous effort to make sure that this updated bill was signed into law.”
The new law was signed on Jan. 16th, 2024 and went into effect on most insurance plans as of April 15th of the same year. It was highlighted by the NJSHA during Speech-Language Hearing Month in May.
Further reading: New Members Elected to ACI Alliance Board of Directors
Featured image: Eric Sandler, ScD, director of Audiological services at The Hearing Center. Photo: The Hearing Center
