(KGTV) SACRAMENTO — "We were really hopeful this would be our time. My husband and I. Our entire deaf and hard of hearing community, we are so disappointed," said parent Christina Janes.
She is among hundreds of parents who advocated for Senate Bill 635. But Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed it earlier this month.
It’s called the Let California Kids Hear Act. It would require private insurance companies to cover the cost of hearing aids, up to 20,000 of kids in California. Ages 20 and under.
"We have cried. We have pulled ourselves up by our bootstraps. We have said we have done it before and we are going to do it again," she said.
Many private insurance companies do not cover hearing aids for kids. That directly effects Janes. She pays $4,000 for hearing aids every 4 years for her 6 year-old son. Janes says that's because he outgrows them.
"These are medically necessary devices. They are not elective. They are not cosmetic. To say that they are is hurtful and harmful to this community," she said.
The bill passed unanimously in the house and senate. In a letter the governor wrote "I am returning Senate Bill 635 without my signature."
Newsom says "children can receive hearing aids through the California Children's Services program or Medi-Cal."
If you don’t qualify for those there is also the Hearing Aid Coverage for Children Program.
"There is a lot of red tape. Parents are told they are eligible, then they are not. They have a hard time hearing back from anyone or there are not enough providers.
The governor did say that he plans to increase incentives so more providers participate in the program. Janes says she is not giving up.
“We fight on. That is all we can do. We are a strong group of moms and dads," she added.
