In March 2016, HLAA signed onto comments provided by the Coalition to Preserve Rehabilitation (CPR), the Independence Through Enhancement of Medicare and Medicaid (ITEM) Coalition, and the Habilitation Benefits (HAB) Coalition, and the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Health Task Force. These coalitions submitted comments on the Summary of Benefits and Coverage and Uniform Glossary (the Comment Request) published by the Internal Revenue Service at the Department of the Treasury (IRS), the Employee Benefits Security Administration at the Department of Labor (EBSA), and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services at the Department of Health and Human Services (CMS).
In these comments, the Coalitions supported definitions of both Habilitation and Rehabilitation that provided for both services and devices that will help people with hearing loss who are using insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act, including hearing aids and assistive listening systems.