BROOMFIELD, Colo. — Ally Tumblin, 13, was born without a right ear. When insurance denied coverage for her bone-anchored hearing aide (BAHA), she decided to do something about it.
"Dear Congressman Joe Neguse. My name is Ally Tumblin and I am in the third grade," she said in her letter. "I was born without my right ear and no ear canal..."
We first met Ally more than three years ago, when she wrote a letter to her representative asking for help.
Ally is now in 7th grade and is still fighting for the right to hear.
Her mom Melissa Tumblin said her daughter's letter to Washington D.C. inspired Ally's Act, a bipartisan bill that was reintroduced on Thursday. The bill would help kids and adults suffering from hearing loss to get hearing devices, including cochlear implants and bone-anchored hearing aides.
"It would cover the cost of the device itself and upgrade every five years," said Tumblin.
The proposed law would also ensure that private insurance companies cover the cost of surgery for an implant, post operative care, as well as one ENT (ear, nose, and throat doctor) and audiology appointment per year for children and adults up to age 64.
"I've watched family after family fight and be denied for coverage for these hearing devices," said Tumblin. "It would help hundreds of thousands of children and adults."
Traditional hearing aides don't help people like Ally. She needs a bone-anchored hearing device that her mom said can cost $5,000-$12,000 each.
"Her hearing tests showed her hearing loss. When she’s aided with a bone-anchored hearing device, it was amazing. It brought her hearing back up into normal hearing range," said Tumblin. "I thought what parent wouldn’t want this for their child, for them to be able to hear again?"
But many families cannot afford the thousands of dollars it costs for the hearing device. Surgery and cochlear implants can cost ten's of thousands of dollars more.
Tumblin said they've spent $15,000 out of pocket for Ally's hearing care over her lifetime, so far.
"A lot of times insurance providers will tell families, 'Well we're denying you this claim because one good ear is good enough,'" said Tumblin. "It’s very frustrating when you know technology is available to help your loved one and then you can’t get it."
But it's not good enough, according to Tumblin, especially for young children developing vocabulary and language skills.
"You can absolutely be at-risk for speech delays and so that was part of Ally's problem," she said.
Tumblin said at any moment, any of us could suffer hearing loss, and if passed by Congress, Ally's Act would be able to help.
"It helps them thrive and their communities," she said. "You want to be able to fully be able to participate and these devices would allow that."
Tumblin also created the local non-profit Ear Community when Ally was just 6-months-old. It helps people with congenital aural atresia, microtia, and other forms of hearing loss get hearing devices and support.
Ally's Act reintroduced in Congress
More stories from reporter Courtney Yuen
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