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One of the conversations we have in the office is about how to pay for hearing aids. This is a bit of a loaded question so let’s look at how we approach this topic in our office.
Now that some Medicare Advantage plans offer some coverage for hearing aids, we will always ask you if you want us to check for any benefits. Some plans are better than others and all have different rules that we have to follow but these plans can often make hearing aids more affordable for you. Medicare still not does offer any benefit so if you have straight Medicare, we will not be able to bill Medicare for any services, including the hearing aids. If you are still working and your health insurance is through your employer, it depends on your plan as to whether or not there is any coverage for hearing aids. Typically, commercial, non-Medicare plans exclude hearing aids but it is always helpful to call your plan and ask specifically about any hearing benefits. Most Audiologists and Hearing Aid Dispensers offer multiple levels of technology. We have broken ours down to 4 levels:
Essential: this level of technology is appropriate for people that are not in very complicated listening situations (i.e. noisy restaurants) on a regular basis. These are the least expensive but for many people, this is a cost-effective way to remedy the hearing loss.
Standard: this level incorporates more automatic technology so that the hearing aids adjust to your environment more intuitively but still will need some manual adjustments when in very noisy places.
Advanced: this level is more intuitive and automatic when in noisy places with fewer manual adjustments.
Premium: this is the most automatic of the technology levels where the aids are as intuitive as possible when in challenging situations.
Research on the benefits of level of technology is sparse but there was a study back in 2014 that specifically looked at speech understanding in older adults with mild to moderate, uncomplicated, hearing loss and the ultimate conclusion was that the level of technology was less important than consistent use of the hearing aids in all environments. Basically, no matter the technology level, those people that wore their hearing aids consistently were satisfied with them. Here are two scenarios:
1. A person comes and in and through our conversation, it turns out the person is not very socially active and is mostly at home except for going to the grocery store, the physician’s office and maybe out to a restaurant 1-2 times a month. This person also stated that TV is difficult to understand and they are concerned about bothering their neighbors. The recommendation for this person (no matter their finances) would be an essential or standard hearing aid because the higher level features would not be helpful since this person is not frequently in difficult environments. I might recommend a device to help with TV but we often wait to see if the hearing aids alone are sufficient.
2. Contrast this with someone who is still working and often attends meetings and has to go to busy trainings or a person who has a very busy social life. In order to help this person go seamlessly from different environments, the advanced or premium hearing aids would be more appropriate, if their budget allows.
Bottom line: please don’t let the cost of hearing aids stop you from pursuing the help you need. We will discuss all of your options and help you make the decision that works for your needs.
Audiology with the Heart
(561) 366-7219
audiologywithaheart.com
2324 S. Congress Ave.
Suite 2G Palm Springs, FL 33406