Dear Fellow U.S. Armed Services Veteran: We appreciate the opportunity to share with you some important information about an issue facing many of our nation s Veterans: hearing loss. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, two of the most prevalent service-connected disabilities for Veterans are tinnitus and hearing loss, and the need for hearing healthcare for Veterans grows every day. Veterans who served our country between 2001 and 2010 are four times more likely than non-veterans to suffer from hearing loss, and aging Veterans who suffered hearing loss in previous service periods are experiencing degenerative hearing at increasing rates. Unfortunately, whether for recently returned service members or aging Veterans, the challenge of hearing loss is all too often compounded by difficulties faced by Veterans in accessing hearing healthcare services through the VA. As you may know, the VA, despite their best efforts, is very often unable to meet Veterans hearing healthcare needs in a timely, convenient and quality fashion due to a substantial backlog. Many Veterans must deal with unreasonable wait times for appointments and follow-up care or are forced to travel lengthy distances to access care at the nearest VA clinic. Further, many Veterans also must deal with inadequate care or insufficient training on using hearing aids. Consequently, Veterans across the country have given up on the VA, opting instead to pay out of pocket for hearing aid services. A recently launched initiative called Fit to Serve is working to address the shortcomings of VA hearing healthcare services. Developed by the International Hearing Society (IHS), Fit to Serve aims to alleviate these problems and reduce the backlog at the VA by changing current VA policy to allow Veterans to access hearing aid specialists outside the VA. Specifically, Fit to Serve is advocating for hearing aid specialists to be allowed to perform hearing evaluations and also for removing restrictions that prevent most hearing aid specialists from being able to provide hearing aid services. This change would greatly reduce the wait times for appointments and increase the quality of care for Veterans. Further, because there are thousands of hearing aid specialists throughout the country, in urban, suburban and rural areas, many Veterans would no longer need to travel great distances to have their hearing tested or their hearing aids fitted. Timely hearing healthcare services, located close by, would also make important follow-up care easier for both returning and older Veterans. Info@fittoserve.us www.fittoserve.us
Fit to Serve is fighting to improve hearing healthcare for Veterans across America. As Veterans, we feel it is the right thing to do for the men and women who have selflessly dedicated themselves to our nation. We hope that you will take a moment to learn more about Fit to Serve, and more importantly, consider lending your voice to the fight to improve Veterans healthcare. The enclosed packet has information about the Fit to Serve campaign and how you can get involved. You can learn also more on their website at www.fittoserve.us. Thank you for your time, your service and your consideration. Sincerely, Kenneth Lanzalaco, Louisiana United States Army Special Forces (Ret.) Honorary Co-Chair Arnold Schertzer, Hearing Aid Specialist, Massachusetts United States Air Force Reserves (Ret.) Honorary Co-Chair Tim Toomey, Hearing Aid Specialist, Alabama United States Army (ret.) Honorary Co-Chair Walter Whitney, Hearing Aid Specialist, Ohio United States Army (Ret.) Honorary Co-Chair Info@fittoserve.us www.fittoserve.us
THE INTERNATIONAL HEARING SOCIETY: Ready to serve America s Veterans Hearing loss is a serious challenge faced by many of America s Veterans According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, two of the most prevalent service-connected disabilities for veterans receiving federal compensation in 2011 were tinnitus and hearing loss 1 Studies have shown that hearing loss can strain relationships, heighten stress, cause fatigue, reduce income, and make it difficult to maintain a career The need for hearing healthcare for Veterans is significant and continuing to grow Veterans who served between 2001-2010 are four times more likely than non-veterans to suffer from hearing loss Aging Veterans who suffered hearing loss in previous service periods are experiencing degenerative hearing at increasing rates, resulting in greater reliance on the VA for hearing healthcare The VA system of providing hearing healthcare services is not meeting Veterans needs Many Veterans are purchasing hearing aids from local providers at their own expense rather than dealing with the VA due to o Long wait times to get appointments o Extensive time spent traveling to the nearest VA clinic o Limited follow-up service Often, Veterans do not receive o Proper hearing aid training on basic functions such as battery replacement o Adequate follow-up care, which should include programming and fit adjustments o Rehabilitation and counseling to ensure success More hearing healthcare providers are needed to address the growing need for hearing-related services due to growing numbers of Veterans with hearing loss and because of the aging baby boomer generation 1 http://www.vba.va.gov/reports/abr/2011_abr.pdf
The International Hearing Society stands ready and qualified to offer effective, professional hearing healthcare for America s Veterans 9,000+ hearing aid specialists, represented by IHS, stand ready to provide Veterans across the U.S with comprehensive hearing healthcare, including: hearing testing, determining candidacy for hearing aids, performing fittings, providing hearing aid recommendations, performing adjustments and repairs, taking ear impressions for ear molds, providing counseling and aural rehabilitation IHS' members are educated professionals who have undergone the appropriate training and licensing processes, including successful completion of o 1-2 year apprenticeship training period o 13-month distance learning course in hearing instrument sciences o Test of state and federal laws related to the fitting and sale of hearing aids The International Hearing Society offers additional resources that, along with the VA, will better meet the needs of our Veterans The IHS recognizes and respects the hard-working men and women of the VA who serve our Veterans by providing hearing healthcare services, among many other healthcare needs. IHS wants to ensure that Veterans have ready access to timely, professional hearing healthcare, and is prepared to provide these critical services alongside our colleagues at the VA. Hearing healthcare services could be quickly and effectively offered to Veterans through IHS members serving as VA contractors. The IHS encourages anyone who is interested in America s Veterans getting the hearing healthcare that they fought so hard to earn, to contact their U.S. Senators and Congressman. Urge your Members of Congress to demand that the Department of Veterans Affairs permit hearing aid specialists to provide hearing evaluations and remove unnecessary restrictions preventing hearing aid specialists from delivering hearing aid services as VA providers. To learn more about Fit to Serve s campaign to provide hearing healthcare for America s Veterans, please visit www.fittoserve.us
HOW YOU CAN HELP Founded by the International Hearing Society (IHS), Fit To Serve is a campaign dedicated to improving the hearing healthcare system for America s Veterans. Our goal is to ensure timely and convenient access to high quality hearing healthcare for all Veterans. We are committed to serving the Veterans who have served all of us. We believe the VA should allow hearing aid specialists to provide hearing healthcare services to our nation s Veterans. Changing the current VA policy and allowing Veterans to access to more than 9,000 hearing aid specialists will drastically reduce wait and travel times while improving the quality of care and service that Veterans receive. Veterans can support this important effort in several ways: 1) Write to your Members of Congress* Let them know that the VA hearing healthcare system is not meeting the needs of Veterans and that hearing aid specialists should be allowed to provide hearing evaluations and hearing aid services. Include your personal experiences with the VA, which may relate to long wait times to get appointments, difficulties traveling to the closest VA audiology clinic, poor hearing aid programming and follow up services or other shortcomings of the current system. You can contact your senators and congressman through our website, www.fittoserve.us. 2) Veteran Service Organization (VSO) Outreach* Urge your local and national Veterans groups to get involved and support Fit to Serve. We are seeking endorsements from local Veterans organizations; as well as individual and group outreach to the national VSO offices to urge their support for reform of the existing policies. 3) Write to the Department of Veterans Affairs* Let the VA know that Veterans deserve better and that you support 1) the inclusion of hearing aid specialists as VA providers of hearing evaluations and 2) the elimination of restrictive policies that limit Veterans access to hearing aid specialists for hearing aid services. 4) Media Outreach* Spread the word by sending a letter to the editor of your local or statewide paper, or to military- or veteran-oriented magazines or other publications. If your local Veterans organization is interested in supporting Fit to Serve as an endorser, please contact us at info@fittoserve.us or (734) 522-7200, ext. 226. * Please send a copy of any communications sent to Members of Congress, the VA, VSOs or media to info@fittoserve.us or International Hearing Society, 16880 Middlebelt Road, Suite 4, Livonia, MI 48154, so we can follow up with your legislators, the Veterans Service Organizations, and the VA in Washington, DC. Thank you for your support!
Sample Letter to U.S. Representative/U.S. Senator Message: Distance Dear Sir/Madam: As you may know, the Veteran population often relies on the VA for assistance in many areas of life, including healthcare. One of the more common medical needs is hearing loss disability. What you may not know is that people such as myself with hearing loss who live in rural areas have a very hard time accessing the VA. As I have gotten older it is more and more difficult to make the three hour drive to the closest VA clinic. Often times, I will have a short, 15-minute appointment for my hearing aids that will turn into a 7 or 8 hour day after all the driving if I take VA transportation. Sometimes a friend or relative will drive me, but that is not a solution because it is inconvenient for both them and me. Although the VA has been helpful with their services, distance is becoming a deterrent and I find myself more often paying out of pocket to receive more local assistance with my hearing disability. As more Veterans grow older, these problems will become more apparent. For myself and other Veterans, I believe a solution to this problem would be to lift restrictions currently in place and allow hearing aid specialists to provide hearing healthcare services. Allowing Veterans to access the support of hearing aid specialists in their local communities could significantly reduce wait as well as travel times while also improving the hearing health care that Veterans receive. I encourage you to get the VA to make the necessary changes in policy to help all Veterans get quality, timely hearing health care. Sincerely, U.S. Army Veteran Address Phone number
Sample Letter to U.S. Representative/U.S. Senator Message: General Dear Sir/Madam: I am writing to you to make a request for action on the current problem many veterans are having with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Like me, many of my fellow Veterans with hearing loss or tinnitus have experienced long wait times for appointments, trouble getting timely and adequate follow up care, are often traveling too long a distance to the closest VA, or leave an appointment with questions and concerns. Several of my friends have even given up on the VA and use their local audiologist or hearing aid specialist, even if they have to pay out of their own pocket. Typically, they can get almost immediate appointments at a more convenient location than the VA. Hearing loss is a widespread disability for Veterans, and causes many of us a great deal of difficulty in our lives. Having to deal with a hearing health care system that does not meet our needs only adds to the stress and frustration. There is, however, a change that you can help achieve that could, in short order, improve the lives of thousands of Veterans facing hearing challenges. A change in VA policy to allow hearing aid specialists to provide hearing tests and hearing aid services would help Veterans such as I access the support of hearing aid specialists in my community. This would give Veterans the chance to get their hearing health care needs met sooner, and closer, by trained professionals. I encourage you to support the changes necessary at the VA to help all of America s Veterans get quality, hearing health care. Sincerely, U.S. Navy Veteran Address Phone number
Dear (insert Veteran Service Organization [VSO] name), I want to bring to your attention an important issue facing more and more of America s Veterans, namely, hearing loss. Hearing loss is a serious challenge for many Veterans. In fact, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, two of the most prevalent service-connected disabilities for Veterans are tinnitus and hearing loss. For both recently returned service members as well as aging Veterans, the problem of hearing loss is often compounded by difficulties faced by Veterans in accessing hearing healthcare services through the VA. As you may know, the VA, despite their best efforts, is unable to address Veterans hearing healthcare needs in a timely, convenient and quality fashion due to a significant backlog. Veterans, myself included, all too often must deal with unreasonable wait times for appointments and follow-up care. Many veterans also must travel lengthy distances to access care at the nearest VA clinic. Further, Veterans also must deal with inadequate care or insufficient training on using hearing aids. Consequently, many Veterans have given up on the VA, opting instead to pay out of pocket for hearing aid services. A recently-launched initiative called Fit to Serve is working to address the challenges of VA hearing healthcare services. Fit to Serve seeks to alleviate these problems and reduce the backlog at the VA by changing current VA policy to allow Veterans to have better access to hearing aid specialists and hearing healthcare. This change in policy would substantially reduce the wait times for appointments and increase the quality of care for Veterans. Further, because there are thousands of hearing aid specialists throughout the country in both rural and suburban areas, many Veterans would no longer need to travel great distances to have their hearing tested or their hearing aids fitted. Timely hearing healthcare services, located close by, also makes important follow-up care easier for both returning and older Veterans. Fit to Serve is fighting to improve hearing healthcare services for Veterans across America. As a Veteran, I support Fit to Serve and strongly encourage (VSO name) to do so as well. With its considerable influence in Veterans affairs, I am confident that (VSO name) s involvement and support of Fit to Serve will provide a strong voice in the fight to improve Veterans healthcare. I hope that the leadership of (VSO name) will both take the time to learn more about Fit to Serve, and consider endorsing the campaign s worthwhile efforts. You can learn more on their website at www.fittoserve.us. Thank you for your time, please feel free to get in touch if I can answer any questions, Sincerely, VETERAN Address Phone number