Say what …?

Folks who know me often hear me saying: “What? Or, "Can you say that again?” You see, I have a significant hearing loss and I wear hearing aids.

But did you know that hearing loss is not considered a disability? Rather, treatment for hearing loss is considered elective, much like plastic surgery or liposuction! You choose to have plastic surgery or liposuction - but you don’t choose to have hearing loss. And, unlike cosmetic procedures, hearing loss can have devastating life effects. Adding further insult, treatment of hearing loss - specifically hearing aids – is not covered by medical insurance. Let me tell you more.

The Center for Disease Control estimates there are approximately 37 plus million people in the United States who suffer from hearing loss. If hearing loss was considered a disability, this invisible disability would be the largest disability. Those numbers will only grow as baby boomers continue to age.

First, a little background information on hearing aids is necessary. Generally, hearing aids are custom made to fit in the ear canal. A hearing aid is basically an amplifier and microphone inserted into a custom fit mold that is inserted into the ear or a rubber tip that is inserted into the ear and is connected by a tube to a plastic piece that is worn behind the ear. The second type doesn’t require a custom ear mold but is programmed specially for the person using it.

What does a hearing aid cost? Generally, hearing aids cost from $1000 to $6000 per ear. Average cost is $2500 - $3000 per ear. The cost varies based on the severity of the hearing loss. Usually, the cost of producing the hearing aid is the smallest cost; most of the cost is for hearing tests, audiology services, fittings, etc. Some sources indicate that the average cost of manufacturing a hearing aid is about $100. Costs can be reduced by eliminating testing and services of the audiologist. For example, you can order hearing aids. However, as the story goes, you generally get what you pay for. The less expensive hearing aids may just be amplifiers or you may just be getting scammed. Can you really get a hearing aid that works for $14.95 (as recently seen on a TV ad, pitched by the bionic man, Lee Majors)? Doubtful. Other sources report that the cost of hearing aids has consistently increased by 8% a year, although the technology hasn’t changed much. More expensive units have blue-tooth capability and other features but most of the cost is still not in manufacturing. Given the cost, a lot of people simply cannot afford hearing aids.

Following are some of the reasons that were given to justify the lack of insurance coverage for hearing aids:

• People don’t wear them; they get them, try them and find that they can’t hear as well as they thought they would but instead are inundated by extraneous noise. (Insurance companies incur costs for items not being used.)
• It is easy to lose or misplace a hearing aid (thus increasing costs to the insurance companies for replacements).
• They need to be replaced every three to five years. Many people can’t afford them the first time, much less the cost of continual replacement. The cost of continual replacement increases costs for the insurance companies.
• It is not critical for retired people to hear. Yes, I found this and other comments that inferred this more than once. But I have news for them - retired people do need to hear – their grandkids, their friends, life in general. Many people who can’t hear well just give up trying to hear and isolate themselves so they don’t have to deal with trying to read lips, asking to have things repeated, etc.

Bottom line is that hearing aids aren’t paid for my medical insurance because the insurance companies cannot make any money insuring them.

Given the wave of baby boomers and the likelihood that more and more people may be needing hearing aids, will hearing aid insurance be mandated? Not likely. With the high cost of healthcare, it will be very difficult to add any more mandated services. Some companies provide insurance coverage for testing or hearing loss services to children and some coverage is provided to veterans. However, most insurance companies will continue to exclude hearing aid coverage.

So, what is there to do? Protect your hearing.

• Wear ear protection.
• Stay away from loud noises.
• Wear headphones.
• Have your hearing checked regularly. Most people don’t realize they have hearing loss because it happens gradually and they adjust their voice to the change in hearing. Many times the person with the hearing loss is the last person to know.
• And rest your ears … enjoy some quiet time.

Don’t do as I did - wait until the end of a very long day to go to the ER for an earache. By the time I got there, I had both an inner and outer ear infection - and a damaged ear drum. My hearing was significantly impacted because I waited. Don’t let that happen to you.