Tax Credits for Hearing Aids

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skochkin

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With the focus on health care in Washington this is perhaps the best time to make our voice heard in support of tax credits for hearing aids. Current legislation before Congress provides up to $1000 for two hearing aids for dependents and adults 55+. One in four households in America has at least one person with a hearing loss and 2/3 cannot afford hearing health care. If we all wrote to all our Facebook contacts and all our email contacts and all our discussion forum contacts then I bet we can make a difference. We need 500,000 letters to Congress....that's only 167,000 people (2 letters to our Senators and 1 letter to our Congress person). So let's tap into our social networks and make this happen.

Make your voice heard at Better Hearing Institute: Hearing Aid Tax Credit Website - Welcome!


Dr. Sergei Kochkin
Executive Director
Better Hearing Institute
Better Hearing Institute
 
This isn't a very good bill since it is for people 55 plus. Tousi put this up once before, and I did write , but it would be better if it were a different bill and working adults could benefit from it instead of just old people and parents of minor deaf children.
 
Bottesini said:
This isn't a very good bill since it is for people 55 plus. Tousi put this up once before, and I did write , but it would be better if it were a different bill and working adults could benefit from it instead of just old people and parents of minor deaf children.
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I agree. We need to include everyone. The working class hurts the most and needs all the tax credits then can get since they spend the most compared to dependants and older citzens over 55.
 
Before I start, I want everyone to know that I am not against tax credits for hearing aids. I am only asking as I am always trying to build on my understanding of the Deaf Culture, opinions, and struggles.

Why should there be tax credits for hearing aids?

Doesn't insurance pay for hearing aids? If not, how does this compare to what insurances contribute to other prosthetic (if that is the word to use), devices?

Again, I don't mean to sound rude, just curious.
 
dorothy5664 said:
Doesn't insurance pay for hearing aids?
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Most insurances don't. Tricare (government/army) does and maybe a few others that will pay partially in certain circumstances.

Hearing aids are prohibitively expensive for most people with pairs that can easily cost multiple thousand so many people go through life without them because they can't afford them or they think it isn't worth the money. The benefits of having HA's are excellent when you don't have access to interpreters and other expensive facilities.
 
Mockingbird,

Thank you, I guess I wrongly assumed that insurance companies did help with HA's. Well, you know what they say about what happens when one assumes.
 
Insurance

Actually about a dozen states include insurance coverage for children. And the recent inclusion of adults in the Federal insurance program for 8 million Federal employees may spur the insurance companies to include this coverage for all Americans.
 
Not to be rude, but :repost: You just did this last week.
 
Bottesini said:
Not to be rude, but :repost: You just did this last week.
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Yes under two different sections. I find it needs to be mentioned dozens of times before people take action. We got 6,000 letters since the last post. What have you done to help in this important initiative?
 
skochkin said:
Yes under two different sections. I find it needs to be mentioned dozens of times before people take action. We got 6,000 letters since the last post. What have you done to help in this important initiative?
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I wrote when Tousi first posted about it.

It is against the rules to do these multiples.
 
Mod Note: I have merged these threads.

Op please only post once in one forum, thank you =)
 
dorothy5664 said:
Before I start, I want everyone to know that I am not against tax credits for hearing aids. I am only asking as I am always trying to build on my understanding of the Deaf Culture, opinions, and struggles.

Why should there be tax credits for hearing aids?

Doesn't insurance pay for hearing aids? If not, how does this compare to what insurances contribute to other prosthetic (if that is the word to use), devices?

Again, I don't mean to sound rude, just curious.
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As Mockingbird said insurance companies dont really cover them. Some do but most companies consider hearing aids to be "cosmetic" imagine that huh? Hearing is cosmetic! lol So far within one year I have spent $8520.00 all on hearing aids!
 
Mockingbird said:
Most insurances don't. Tricare (government/army) does and maybe a few others that will pay partially in certain circumstances.
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My military doctor and audiologist both told me that Tricare will only pay for hearing aids for ACTIVE DUTY, not dependents, retirees, etc. and then only if work related hearing loss. That is why I shelled out over $5000 for hearing aids.
 
What about the rest of us?

I have a huge problem with this bill simply because as others have pointed out it only benefits those over 55 and those with minor dependents. I had to purchase a new hearing aid and here is what I went thru.
1. Dept of Rehab in illinois no longer provides loans for hearing aid purchases and of course does not provide any actual financial assistance for hearing aids.
2. I was not deemed needy enough because I had a job even though I was at risk for losing my job because I could no longer perform my job functions with a broken hearing aid.
3. My insurance and most insurances do not cover the cost of hearing aids.
4. Lyons clubs in my area will only assist children.
5. I was not someone's dependent so I didn't qualify for those smaller foundational grants.
6. I am in the process of bankruptcy so I could not obtain a loan.
7. My employer did not consider purchasing a new hearing aid as reasonable accomodation, nor would they assist in advancing my paycheck to help come up with the funds. (I was employed with them for nine years)
8. My hearing aid was not repairable nor was my back up hearing aid. What are the odds of two not being repairable at the same time!

In the end, my mother and a good friend fronted me the $3500 for a new hearing aid after the provider reduced the price by $700 down from $4200. This bill is crap because it does nothing for those of us who as research shows already get paid less than our hearing counterparts for doing the same job, even though we are proven to be more reliable employees. I needed to be able to have that tax credit in the end to help pay back the loans I took from friends. I appealed to those sponsoring the bill to change the bill to include those of us who are not dependents and are under 55. Basically, I was told well we just need to get this passed and then will work on getting it to cover the rest of those who need the credit. Its crap.
 
kimpossible,

$3500 or $4200 for a new hearing aid? :shock:

Usually hearing aids cost no more than $2000 apiece.
 
Hear Again said:
kimpossible,

$3500 or $4200 for a new hearing aid? :shock:

Usually hearing aids cost no more than $2000 apiece.
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My first set were 2500 for one and 5000 for 2.. I got to trade them in for 40% of what i paid for them so I had to only pay 3520 for the second set which would have cost me 2600 for one and 5200 for 2.. Depending on where kim is it is possible for one to cost that much...
 
candybrowneyes said:
My first set were 2500 for one and 5000 for 2.. I got to trade them in for 40% of what i paid for them so I had to only pay 3520 for the second set which would have cost me 2600 for one and 5200 for 2.. Depending on where kim is it is possible for one to cost that much...
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If kim purchased them through a hearing aid dealer, I can see them costing that much, but not through an audi. That seems very expensive to me. Even my Oticon DigiFocus II super power BTEs weren't that expensive and they were considered top of the line aids when they were purchased in 1995.
 
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