Cincinnati Children's Hearing Aid Trust

CCHAT Mission

The Cincinnati Children’s Hearing Aid Trust (CCHAT) is a program within Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. The primary goal is to provide Ohio children, from birth to age three, with their first set of hearing aids for free. CCHAT has partnered with the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), the Bureau of Early Intervention Services (BEIS), the Bureau for Children with Medical Handicaps (BCMH), the Regional Infant Hearing Programs (RIHP), Phonak and Oticon, as well as individual sponsors **(to make this goal come to life and start helping hundreds of children). Early hearing intervention in children with confirmed hearing loss is critical, yet the financial challenges associated with obtaining hearing aids can be burdensome. CCHAT and its partners are devoted to helping families overcome obstacles and alleviate the stressors associated with hearing loss.

The Cincinnati Children’s Hearing Aid Trust (CCHAT) strives to offer the gift of hearing to as many Ohio children as possible.

CCHAT Inspiration

In 2004, the state of Ohio implemented a universal newborn hearing screening. Since that time, the number of infants identified with hearing loss at birth has doubled. In Ohio, an estimated 450 children per year will be diagnosed with permanent hearing loss that could be managed with hearing aids. Unfortunately, state and federal agencies provide only limited support for interventions such as hearing aids.

As a result, staff at Cincinnati Children’s recognized a need to identify additional sources of funding for children who might otherwise be denied coverage for hearing aids. The known benefits of early intervention (particularly for hearing, speech and language development in very young children), underscores the importance of fitting children with hearing aids as early as possible.

How CCHAT can help your child

In the first few years of life, hearing is a critical part of a child’s social, emotional and cognitive development. Even a mild or partial hearing loss can affect a child's ability to speak and understand language. Hearing loss is the most common congenital anomaly found in newborns. The good news is, hearing problems can be treated if they’re caught early – ideally by the time a baby is three months old. So, it’s important to get your child’s hearing screened early and evaluated regularly.

When your child is diagnosed with hearing loss, your audiologist will contact CCHAT. CCHAT will facilitate shipment of a hearing aid(s) directly to the practicing audiologist. CCHAT has partnered with Phonak and Oticon to provide patients with hearing aids for a three-month loaner period. During the loaner period, CCHAT will help patient families apply for financial reimbursement from a variety of government agencies. If funding is denied, CCHAT will be the payer of last resort for your child’s hearing aid(s). CCHAT will also help you develop a savings plan for future needs.

CCHAT Partners

Cincinnati Children's is one of America’s top three children’s hospitals for general pediatrics and is highly ranked for its expertise in digestive diseases, respiratory diseases, cancer, neonatal care, heart care and neurosurgery, according to the annual ranking of best children's hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. One of the three largest children’s hospitals in the United States, Cincinnati Children’s is affiliated with the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and is one of the top two recipients of pediatric research grants from the National Institutes of Health. Cincinnati Children’s is a national and international referral center for complex cases, so that children with the most difficult-to-treat diseases and conditions receive the most advanced care leading to better outcomes.

The Ohio Department of Health’s mission is to protect and improve the health of all Ohioans.
Help Me Grow is an early intervention program for Ohio’s expectant parents, newborns, infants and toddlers. They provide health and developmental services.
The Bureau for Children with Medical Handicaps (BCMH) links families of children with special needs to a network of quality providers and helps families obtain payment for services. BCMH helps children with special health care needs, and their families, obtain comprehensive care and services that are family-centered, community-based and culturally sensitive.
Regional Infant Hearing Programs assist families in connecting with audiologists and community resources to ensure early identification of hearing loss.
The Phonak Group specializes in the design, development, production and worldwide distribution of technologically advanced wireless and hearing systems.
Oticon is the oldest hearing aid manufacturer in the world. The Oticon Foundation is the majority shareholder of Oticon and is committed to supporting the needs of hearing impaired people.