[Subsidizing hearing aid purchase in mild to moderate pediatric hearing--pediatric status following prefectural assembly subvention]

The dissemination of newborn hearing screening (NHS) has enabled those with mild to moderate hearing loss to be diagnosed in early infancy. The "handicapped independence support law", however, prevents those not determined to be physically handicapped; i.e., those with mild to moderate hearing loss-, from government assistance in purchasing hearing aids. This results either in (i) parents purchasing hearing aids at their own expense or (ii) nonpurchase of hearing aids. To redress this situation, subvention in purchasing hearing aids of mild to moderate hearing loss children has been begun by some local governments. We petitioned for such aid at the Okayama Prefecture Assembly. A society for supporting pediatric hearing difficulty in Okayama Prefecture also submitted a similar petition in September 2009, and subvention began in April 2010 for all such children in Okayama Prefecture. We report procedures and details leading to this subvention.