HAs insurance?

Frisky Feline

Frisky Feline

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Most of us know that getting HAs that won't cover or some cover with the many kind of health insurances. I am curious some of you may have insurance that cover it for a HA. If so, what kind of insurance do you have? I was reading my health insurance that came in a while ago. mine's said that they only can pay 1 thousand for a HA. I will re read to make sure if it applies to me or not since I was born deaf. I do not remember if they did change the rule in the past year. I was surprised to see that they do cover but just 1 thousand. I plan to call the insurance about it next week.

I have not research or write a complaint letter to the insurance yet, but i should give it a try.
 
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If insurance covers HA - then it covers HA, it doesn't matter if you were born deaf or are LD etc. As long as your Audiologist Rx the HA (and in some cases you need a MD note saying that you "need" HAs) then they are covered.

In Canada (and most of the USA) HAs are either not covered at all, or cover up to $500 every 5years or so. The amount they cover is the TOTAL, not per ear - so if your insurance says that it covers $500, that is for both ears (not $500 per ear = $1000 total).

I think it's ridiculous that insurance policies will cover the cost of a CI or BAHA (because it's surgical) but will not cover (completely or 80% etc) the cost of HA ... especially since MOST people who are HOH do not meet teh CI requirements even IF they wanted one.
 
Hubby's insurance will now pay up to $1000 for 1 HA only. There are no restrictions except for anything up to $1000 for the year. This is new for this year. We've never had any coverage as long as we have been married. This is through Aetna.
 
KristinaB said:
Hubby's insurance will now pay up to $1000 for 1 HA only. There are no restrictions except for anything up to $1000 for the year. This is new for this year. We've never had any coverage as long as we have been married. This is through Aetna.
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WOW - that's great (considering the previous coverage) how often are you able to use the $1000? Is it every year or ever 3, 5 etc years?
 
Anij said:
WOW - that's great (considering the previous coverage) how often are you able to use the $1000? Is it every year or ever 3, 5 etc years?
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As far as I know - it's every year, but since hubby's company is so small, it's not very often that they have the same insurance each year. They always go for the best coverage and rates that everyone can afford.

My last HA's were $2200 each. The ones my kids had were $1450. Kids got their's though Medicaid in Missouri, 2 each, and they were BTE's. Mine were paid for my VR in Columbia, Missouri and were OtoSonic ITE's. Mine were really crappy and chipped within the first 6 months and had to be replaced. Luckily, I don't wear them anymore. I have no need since I am now total deaf.
 
I have Kaiser Permanente and I'm allowed 1,000.00 towards a new hearing aid every other year.
 
Wyoming medicaid covered the full cost of my Phonak Naida. Don't know if they have a max. amount they'll cover though, and I could get a new hearing aid every 5 years if the previous hearing aid is no longer under warranty.
 
it was only 1 new hearing aid, and they cover repairs and earmolds too. No clue how much my hearing aid cost either.
 
Colorado Medicaid covers all costs of HA's for kids not sure about earmolds, my daughter has no use for them, but they automatically get it if they have any hearing loss. They also pay for batteries and in home speech therapy and ASL with private instructor until the child is 3.
 
blank canvas said:
Colorado Medicaid covers all costs of HA's for kids not sure about earmolds, my daughter has no use for them, but they automatically get it if they have any hearing loss. They also pay for batteries and in home speech therapy and ASL with private instructor until the child is 3.
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Mmmm Didnt know that.
 
posts from hell said:
Mmmm Didnt know that.
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Yup true story, just depends on what self-righteou audi you get on whether or not you get the info. But at Children's hospital it is policy to let parents know all of their options or at least get them in contact with people who will. And they get you on medicaid who covers it all no matter how much income the family has.
 
blank canvas said:
Yup true story, just depends on what self-righteou audi you get on whether or not you get the info. But at Children's hospital it is policy to let parents know all of their options or at least get them in contact with people who will. And they get you on medicaid who covers it all no matter how much income the family has.
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Interesting - I would have thought any audi would want to sell you stuff... so if you didnt have the money, they would chime in with that info??
 
posts from hell said:
Interesting - I would have thought any audi would want to sell you stuff... so if you didnt have the money, they would chime in with that info??
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No, they always get parents set up with the medicaid, it's the 'other' services they leave out. I had met a mom in a play group for d/hh kids and she was struggling to pay for ASL classes and I asked why she didn't set it up to have someone come to her house to teach her family... her response was that she was never told about it so I gave her the info the Audi should have. I have seen this a lot the parents were only given the medical viewpoint where others were given all options and the discrimination wasn't based on the degree of the childs hearing loss. I met with the head of Children's audi program and we came up with a package for parents with all the info included from what I know they still use this. I plan to meet with CHIP next month to talk about showing parents the Audism Unveiled video used at FRCC.

Sorry to go off subject from the thread.
 
I see this a lot, too. Pisses me off. Parents deserve the right to have ALL of the available resources and information out there.
 
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