Senate Republicans Demand Answers on Program Failing to Assist Children with Hearing Loss

In response to a scathing audit of the Department of Health Care Services, Hearing Aid Coverage for Children Program, Senate Republican Leader Scott Wilk (R-Santa Clarita) and members of the Republican Caucus sent a letter to the Department of Health Care Services, demanding answers from the bureaucracy charged with ensuring that children who are hearing impaired receive hearing aids. The audit showed only 2% of eligible children actually received hearing aids. More than 2,000 children are still awaiting assistance from this state agency.

Below are excerpts from the Republican letter: 

“As California legislators, one of our most important jobs is to ensure necessary public services to the most vulnerable communities throughout the state are provided effectively and efficiently… We believe that transparency is necessary in every department to make sure those who need critical services are getting them, and that taxpayers are not paying for inefficient, failing programs.

… We do not doubt that you know providing hearing aids to children so they can better function at school and home is a worthy cause. But if the state promises hearing aids to children, it must do better than reaching less than 2 percent of that goal. …”

Click here to download the letter from Senate Republicans.