WSA Statement on Florida Teleaudiology Legislation

We believe that patients – and the licensed providers who serve them – are at the heart of hearing healthcare. We are deeply committed to upholding the highest standards of patient care and ensuring that licensed providers are involved in the testing and fitting of prescription hearing aids for patients from start to finish.

We want to clarify our role in the recent Florida legislation – Senate Bill 126 and House Bill 101. This proposal seeks to lift Florida’s longstanding ban on the mail-order distribution of prescription hearing aids.

Today, telehealth is accepted in 48 states and is endorsed by the American Academy of Audiology (AAA) and the Academy of Doctors of Audiology (ADA). WSA also believes telehealth is a tool to improve access – particularly for individuals who cannot easily visit a clinic or who prefer care from home. It is NOT a replacement for traditional care, but a complementary pathway that expands options for patients.

That said, telehealth must be implemented responsibly.  It must maintain rigorous standards and require that Florida-licensed professionals oversee the entire process.

To that end, we have had constructive dialogue with professionals, including the Florida Hearing Society and are working together to strengthen the language in the proposed bills. Specifically, we support amendments that would:

• Require that all testing and fitting procedures be conducted by a Florida-licensed audiologist or HAS as defined under s. 468.1225 and s. 484.0501
• Restrict mail-order prescription hearing aids to adults aged 18 and older, excluding children from this provision
• Provide a patient-centred approach to maintain flexibility without compromising care

We have also made clear that we do not support the current version of HB 101, as it lacks the necessary protections for children and weakens standards, we believe are essential.

WSA remains committed to collaboration, transparency, and putting patients first. We look forward to working with our partners and state legislators to advance hearing healthcare in a way that is both accessible and professionally grounded.