Sunday, October 11, 2009

Hearing Aid Tax Credit Bill in Progress


I am really frustrated about this. My hearing is not covered one iota under insurance, and my most recent one purchased in March 2009 ran me $3600. 

I got excited when I heard that a tax credit bill was pending in the House of Representatives, to possible go into effect with the Jan 1 2010 tax year. 

Here is a summary of the bill:

Hearing Aid Assistance Tax Credit Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a nonrefundable income tax credit of up to $500 for the purchase of a qualified hearing aid for an individual who is either: (1) age 55 or older; or (2) is claimed as a dependent of the taxpayer. Denies such tax credit to any taxpayer whose modified adjusted gross income exceeds $200,000.


Under these qualifiers, I would not be eligible for this tax credit. My hearing loss is just as impactful to my daily life. It is a financial cost that I have to pay 100% out of pocket, with very few options for affordability.

Why am I being excluded from being considered? I'm not making $200,000, and $500 seems low considering the actual cost of the hearing aids. I wouldn't be complaining about getting any form of compensation, but even if this passes, it does nothing for me. 


Walk 4 Hearing

A week from today, I will be walking in the Walk 4 Hearing, a fundraiser walk sponsored by the Hearing Loss Association of America and Phonak Hearing. The goal for the 2009 walk series is $1 Million to give towards research and support of hearing loss awareness and research.  They're definitely getting close, with nearly $78,000 currently raised. 

I just found out about this walk a few days ago, but I've made a donation myself, and will be doing the 5K in Lincoln Park starting with registration at 9am. If anyone is interested in joining me, please let me know and I'll get you the details.

If you'd like to make a donation to support me on this walk, you can submit your tax deductible donation here : http://hlaa.convio.net/goto/amyfox