Does Medicare Cover Hearing Aids?
Hearing aids are something that a lot of people need as they get older. It’s a proven fact that your hearing tends to go at a certain age, as the cilia in your ears get damaged beyond repair. If you’ve listened to a lot of loud music or worked around loud machinery for your whole life, then you may have more pronounced hearing loss than other people, and you might find yourself in need of hearing aids. If you are on disability or over the age of 65, then you will want to know if Medicare covers hearing aids. The short answer is that is doesn’t, but there are certain instances in which you could get coverage while on Medicare.
How to Get Hearing Aids on Medicare
If you are on Medicare hearing care is not included as a covered service. However, if you get a Medicare Advantage plan, it may be covered because you can get private plans that are better than the average Medicare plan. Don’t be fooled, you will be paying a higher premium for this privilege, but it is one way to get covered. If you have a Medigap plan that is either C or F, you will have some coverage towards hearing tests that could lead to hearing aids. Only in two states, California and Nevada, will you have any sort of coverage for hearing aids. So, it’s not looking good if you want to get hearing aids covered on Medicare unless you have a Medicare Advantage Plan or Medigap.
Does Regular Health Insurance Cover Hearing Aids?
So, Medicare doesn’t really cover hearing aids, but does regular health insurance? The answer there really isn’t much better. Only 22 out of 50 states require health insurance companies to cover hearing aid costs for children. Only 3 out of 50 states require health insurance companies to cover hearing aid costs for adults. So, of course there are plans that do cover this, but they don’t have to which leads to less of them. Even if your health insurance plan does cover hearing aids, they might not put that much towards the total cost, which can be upwards of $3000, but is usually more like $750-$1000.
Why Are Hearing Aids So Expensive?
The modern hearing aids have come a long way from bulky designs that used analog technology to simply turn up the volume. The hearing aids of today use digital technology to filter out any background noise so you can focus on the task at hand. Hearing aids today are quite small and discreet, and are usually custom fit to your ear shape. Hearing aids are expensive, but keep in mind they only have a life expectancy of about 6 years, so you will have to keep buying them again and again. They are pricey and they don’t have the best coverage by insurance, which is a bummer. However, one study estimates that people with hearing loss can improve their income by up to $12,000 per year by using hearing aids, so the extra cost may be totally worth it.
The most modern hearing aids can even remember your preferences for different types of environments, sync with Bluetooth technology, and sync with your iOS device directly. It’s amazing what hearing aids can do today.
Types of Hearing Aids Available
There are many styles of hearing aids available these days. First of all, there are very discreet in ear ones. If you know someone with this type of hearing aid you probably don’t even know that they have them. The most discreet type sits inside of the ear canal and is only good for people who have mild hearing loss.
There are also types that are flesh colored and sit in the bowl of your ear, still pretty discreetly. Behind the ear styles are also popular because they are a bit larger and they can hold more battery life and other features. Even the modern versions of this type of hearing aid are pretty discreet these days! These are also good for people who have other disabilities who might have problems with dexterity. Dealing with a small aid for hearing could be a big challenge, but the behind the ear styles are a bit easier to manage.
When Does Medicare Cover Hearing Aids or Hearing Tests
If your doctor thinks you have another health problem that would require a hearing test, then 80% of the test would be covered under Medicare Part B. That is pretty much the only instance, besides using a Medicare advantage or Medigap plan that would cover hearing aids. It seems like a challenge to figure out because it is even a stereotype that older people will lose their hearing. If you don’t have any type of hearing coverage but you need hearing aids, consider them an investment into yourself and your quality of life.
So, now that you know you need hearing aids and you know all about how they are not really covered by Medicare unless you have a special coverage, you can go forth and try to find out how to get them for yourself. The best bet is to try a Medigap plan if you live in California or Nevada, or to get a Medicare Advantage plan that also has hearing coverage. Medicare does not cover hearing aids. It’s unfortunate but true. However, there are plenty of important things that Medicare does cover and some supplemental coverages may help with auditory care.