Wyoming Lawmaker's Hearing Aid Program Helps Low-Income Residents

Dan Furphy's bill created the 'Adult Hearing Aid Program' to assist residents with significant hearing loss and limited income.

Apr. 18, 2026 at 7:21pm

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An extremely abstracted, out-of-focus photograph in soft pools of warm color and light, depicting a person's hands holding a pair of hearing aids against a blurred background of everyday lifestyle objects.The new state program aims to make hearing aids more accessible for low-income Wyoming residents with significant hearing loss.Casper Today

In 2024, Wyoming state lawmaker Dan Furphy passed a bill to create the 'Adult Hearing Aid Program', making Wyoming the last state in the nation to have a program or committee to represent the hard-of-hearing community. The program helps residents aged 18 and older with significant hearing loss and limited income obtain medically necessary hearing aids that can cost thousands of dollars. Furphy also wants to create a commission for the adult hard of hearing, similar to what other states have established.

Why it matters

For years, Wyoming had been the only state without any kind of program or representation for its hard-of-hearing residents. Furphy's new program and push for a commission aim to address this gap and provide critical support and resources for a vulnerable population that has struggled to access and afford necessary hearing aids.

The details

The Adult Hearing Aid Program covers the cost of hearing aids for Wyoming residents making less than 200% of the federal poverty level, which is $31,300 for a one-person household. Department of Health officials estimated the initial funding would support 30-34 eligible applicants in the first year starting in August 2025. Furphy also wants to create a commission for the adult hard of hearing, which is now a priority interim topic for the state legislature in 2026.

  • The Adult Hearing Aid Program was created by a bill passed in the 2024 budget session.
  • The program is set to launch and begin accepting applicants in August 2025.
  • The creation of a commission for the adult hard of hearing is a priority interim topic for the legislature in 2026.

The players

Dan Furphy

A former Wyoming state lawmaker who authored the bill that created the Adult Hearing Aid Program, and is now pushing for the creation of a commission to represent the state's hard-of-hearing adult population.

Mark Gordon

The Governor of Wyoming who agreed that something needed to be done to help the state's deaf and hard-of-hearing residents and assigned staff to develop a plan.

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What they’re saying

“No one will listen to us, and we need help. Would you help us?”

— Deaf and hard-of-hearing citizens

“Long term, it would be great to have a Commission for the Deaf so we can have plans. One of my concerns is, and I think we're doing OK, but children - we do have interpreters in the school districts, but some of them have only taken a course or two at our university. They're not truly - well, some are - but there are some that are not truly qualified to deal with the severe problems some of these children have in our state.”

— Dan Furphy, Former Wyoming State Lawmaker

What’s next

The Wyoming Legislature will consider draft legislation in 2027 to establish a State Commission for the Deaf and Blind, which would review all aspects of service and delivery for blind and deaf people in the state.

The takeaway

Furphy's Adult Hearing Aid Program and push for a commission on deaf and hard-of-hearing issues represent an important step forward for a vulnerable population that has long lacked dedicated support and resources in Wyoming. This bipartisan effort shows how lawmakers can come together to address critical needs in their communities.