IHS in Washington: The Full Story on HR 3088 (On-Demand)-IHS in Washington: The Full Story on HR 3088 Recording

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The IHS webinar focused on the introduction and advocacy for HR 3088, also known as the Veterans Hearing Health Care Expansion Act, led by Peter Mihalic, IHS's Health Policy and Advocacy Director. The bill, introduced in April by Representative Barrett, seeks to include hearing aid specialists in the VA’s Community Care program without altering existing scopes of practice. Current efforts involve finding a Democratic co-sponsor and advancing the bill through various legislative strategies, including potential amendments to larger bills. Participants were encouraged to engage with local representatives, share veteran stories, and support financially through IHS's advocacy fund, which does not function as a PAC and is instead used for operational support like tracking legislation and employing advocacy tools. The importance of bipartisan support and ongoing efforts to build momentum for the bill were highlighted. The session concluded with a Q&A segment, addressing the impact of contacting non-jurisdictional representatives and explaining the distinction between the IHS advocacy fund and a PAC. Participants were encouraged to continue supporting the initiative through grassroots and direct advocacy efforts.

Keywords

Veterans Hearing Health Care Expansion Act

HR 3088

hearing aid specialists

Community Care program

IHS advocacy

bipartisan support

legislative strategies