hearing aids payment assistance

radioman

radioman

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I am curious . How many of you have been able to get assistance in paying for your HA's? how old were you and who helped you and why did they help you? Did ANY of you looked into your current insurance to see what is covered?
 
My daughter got help with her from ear community and my help came from lions club..... anyone know where you can get free batteries?
 
Vocational Rehab bought my hearing aid in 2004, and Wyoming Medicaid paid for my current hearing aid a couple years ago. Before that, my parents and grandparents would buy my hearing aids.
 
I was able to get a low interest loan through an agency that helps with assistive devices here in DE.

My daughter, who is in college, just recently had Voc Rahab buy her first pair of HAs. My insurance will pay $400/ear, which was applied 1st to the cost of the HAs before Voc Rehab picks up the difference.

hurleysrus - check this out DATI - Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative
 
I was never able to get any assistance. When I was using HA's our insurance never covered anything and our income, at least when I first got my HA's, was outside of any assistance programs, not by much, but as a young family with young children, it was difficult to afford them. Thankfully my clinic allowed me to make monthly payments on them. Our insurance plan now covers $1500/ear every 2 years, which is remarkable, but I don't use HA's any longer.
 
When I lived in FL in 2001,Medicaid picked up 1/2 of the payment for my hearing aids ($1,000) and I paid the other $1000.

I was in my mid-40's.

I'm still on Medicaid and bought hearing aids this year with assistance from family members.
 
What i dont understand is that-- When I was shopping for HA's coverage last year for this year ... I ended up dropping that plan and went with whats best for me in getting oral medication and doc copays . I was literally pissed off and going crazy when I was researching EACH insurance available in my area.

Nearly all insurance that you pick to be under medicare they pretty much cover your hearing test for free. Some insurance says children "can" be covered for ha's if they are medically necessary. One insurance company i saw can cover you like the first 600 and you pay the rest. Another insurance I saw says they have a copay you like 250 and they pay the rest, but I called my favorite audiologist and he explained to me there is a GOTCHA. Once you get the hearing test done, you MUST buy HA thru the insurance company and they will mail it to you. I asked how can they get away from that since there is a law saying HA's must be dispensed by audiologist ? He explained that the insurance companies found a loophole where they buy CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP china crap and called them "listening devices" not HA's so the law doesnt apply to them. I was furious when I heard that!

Do you guys actually check your policies to see what is covered for you ? I would love to do a spreadsheet of some sort to see what is really out there related to hearing under medical insurance.
 
I've checked before- If I remember most of the ones I've had over the years didn't cover hearing aids. I'm STILL waiting for my kit for my current coverage (don't get me started on the whole thing.. still annoyed as hell at NC and everything else...). For me, parents paid till I left college. PA paid for one set of hearing aids, in Colorado I paid for them (whatever you do be careful on the loan part- I went with that and it was a mistake- wound up just paying the whole thing off at once to get out of it), NC paid for them in 2008. Trying to get NC VR to pay again now- if they ever get back to me...
 
I asked my audiologist about Medicaid's coverage, and have contacted Wyo Medicaid directly myself for my own confirmation of their hearing aid coverage info. My audie was like "you need title 19" (or whatever it is!), which I had. but yeah. I was able to pick the hearing aid I wanted, audie took care of the insurance paperwork and working with Medicaid, etc.

Also, Vocational Rehab also bought my Phonak FM SmartLink just last year as well, for school use.
 
I received a donation from my local college of $500 to pay for a pair of aids that cost $6000. I've been making monthly payments of $300 (minumum) since I got them (January 2013).

I didn't qualify for any aid because I had graduated high school when I got them and my loss is not severe enough. It didn't help that my HAs were more expensive because I need more channels in them because of mid-frequency loss. That was my luck of born to parents who felt an education was more important. Little have they realized that I've gotten more out of these HAs by wearing them than forcing myself to struggle through law school.
 
KikLove said:
I received a donation from my local college of $500 to pay for a pair of aids that cost $6000. I've been making monthly payments of $300 (minumum) since I got them (January 2013).

I didn't qualify for any aid because I had graduated high school when I got them and my loss is not severe enough. It didn't help that my HAs were more expensive because I need more channels in them because of mid-frequency loss. That was my luck of born to parents who felt an education was more important. Little have they realized that I've gotten more out of these HAs by wearing them than forcing myself to struggle through law school.
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that suxs.. When I switched from analog to digital - I keep telling my audi that there were sounds missing and he keeps saying I need to get used to it and adjust to it since its the digital age. well -- I ll tell you what -- I still hate it after 6-8 yrs on digital. My audi admitted that the more expensive HA's with more channels more bands to play with and adjust would be the ticket for me. But guess what -- 6-12k for HA's and my lifesytle doesnt fit with expensive toys. I like to go outside alot and work/play in all kinds of weather from sun to rain to snow. sigh.
 
I have asked a few places for help but I have been turned down because we have a 401k. We already have two loans on our 401k and we can not take out another until August as it stands now I won't get aids until then unless I can get a loan.
 
Weird, I was just on the health exchange looking at policies. Almost all of them under the hearing aid section said no charge 2 items per 3 years. I didn't look at every single plan but I noticed one said no charge 1 item per 3 years, so I guess they just cover one aid?? It's probably important to note I'm in a Texas, I'm sure it's different in every state. Unfortunately I got one in 2012, I actually need a CI not new aids.
 
Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) in Virginia paid for mine, otherwise, I'd never be able to afford them.
 
radioman said:
that suxs.. When I switched from analog to digital - I keep telling my audi that there were sounds missing and he keeps saying I need to get used to it and adjust to it since its the digital age. well -- I ll tell you what -- I still hate it after 6-8 yrs on digital. My audi admitted that the more expensive HA's with more channels more bands to play with and adjust would be the ticket for me. But guess what -- 6-12k for HA's and my lifesytle doesnt fit with expensive toys. I like to go outside alot and work/play in all kinds of weather from sun to rain to snow. sigh.
Click to expand...

PM me if you want a little secret on getting another HA that gives you the same results as the older analog HA's.
 
Me too. i really hate digital HA too. I do miss analog HA.


Why don't you check with V.R. to see if they can able to help to cover your HA based on your family household income. If you are eligible for it. GO FOR IT!! but let me warning you that they will pick audiolgoist and then let audiologist pick HA. You can try to tell them what kind of HA for yourself. sad, there is no analog HA.
 
Frisky Feline said:
Me too. i really hate digital HA too. I do miss analog HA.


Why don't you check with V.R. to see if they can able to help to cover your HA based on your family household income. If you are eligible for it. GO FOR IT!! but let me warning you that they will pick audiolgoist and then let audiologist pick HA. You can try to tell them what kind of HA for yourself. sad, there is no analog HA.
Click to expand...

Depends, I had a fitting issue with the phonak ITE hearing aids I was first given and when I brought them back to the audiologist, she took a new mold of my ear and I got her to give me BTE and I had a choice of colour! :)

The OP should ask right off the bat once they get past the hearing test and are approved for hearing aids, so you get the hearing aids you want.
 
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