WASHINGTON, DC–With a pair of hearing aids costing anywhere from $2000 to $7000, it’s no wonder that many hearing-impaired people feel they can’t afford them. That’s why AARP Bulletin asked Cathie Gandel to write about how to get a good buy on hearing aids.
The article, which appeared in the May 1 issue (go to www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-05-2011/paying-for-hearing-aids.html for the full article), offers a number of suggestions for consumers. One is simply to bargain with your hearing professional. A survey by Consumer Reports found that 40% of those who did got a price break.
Another strategy is to use a medical flex spend account for the purchase, if you have one available through your job. While it won’t reduce the price of the hearing aids, you will reduce your income taxes because the purchase will be made with pre-tax income.
A good number of Americans qualify for discounts or even free hearing aids. Military veterans whose hearing loss is connected to their service or linked to a medical condition treated at a VA hospital should find out if they qualify for free hearing care, including hearing aids, through the VA.
Federal employees and their families are entitled to coverage through some insurance plans. Also, some other health insurance plans, especially some negotiated by unions for their members, have a hearing aid benefit.
Medicare won’t pay for hearing aids, but it covers some hearing tests. And people who qualify for Medicaid may be able to get hearing aids through that program, depending upon their state of residence.
There are also non-profit organizations that offer help with hearing problems for people of limited income. These include Sertoma and HEAR Now, which is sponsored by the Starkey Hearing Foundation.
Many states require insurance companies to provide a hearing aid benefit for children, and three states–New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Arkansas–also require insurers to cover adults. Coverage is unlikely to pay the full cost of hearing aids, but it will make them more affordable.
