Dr. Eric Sandler, director of audiology at the Hearing Center of Central New Jersey in Highland Park, was selected as the new chair of the Audiology Committee of the New Jersey Speech and Hearing Association.
Sandler graduated from Rutgers College in 2002 and from Montclair State University in 2007 with a Doctor of Science in Audiology. He was selected in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2022 as one of NJFamily.com‘s favorite doctors for children. He has been working with internationally known musicians and entertainers to treat their hearing loss and preserve their hearing.
Sandler was joined by fellow Hearing Center audiologists Dr. Michelle Schechter and Dr. Samantha Greenfield at the NJSHA convention in May.
Having recently been recognized in a member spotlight by NJSHA, Sandler played an active role in this year’s update of Grace’s Law.
Originally passed in 2009 to expand insurance coverage of hearing aids for children, Grace’s Law was updated to include obsolete cochlear implant processor replacements to be covered by health insurance in New Jersey.
Cochlear implants utilize an implanted electrode array to bypass the damaged portion of a significantly hearing-impaired ear. Without a functional external processor, the internal portion of the device provides no function. External processors are constantly improving with technological advancements and are considered obsolete after a useful life of 5-10 years.
The original Grace’s Law covered $1,000 per hearing impaired ear, every two years. Hearing aids generally do not need to be replaced after two years, and most pediatric hearing aids come with a five-year manufacturer warranty. Sandler was part of the team that suggested to state legislators to modify the language of the new law to increase the amount covered to $2,500 per hearing impaired ear, every five years. This allows families to have a larger portion of the hearing aid expense to be covered, while not increasing the cost to insurance companies over a five-year period.
“Throughout the process, we recognized that there are political and economic realities that we have to contend with,” Sandler said. “We wanted to make sure that the needs of hearing-impaired children were met, in a way that would be politically acceptable and also unobjectionable by insurance companies. We realized, if something greatly increased their costs, then they would be likely to object, so we came up with terms that we thought were an effective compromise.”
It was a process of internal discussions and meetings with legislative staffers to make this updated law a reality.
