You realized that you have had hearing difficulty for longer than you will admit. Persuaded by family members, friends, or your family physician, you have your hearing checked. Your private practice audiologist reviews the results and recommendations. It is confirmed that you are a candidate for two new digital hearing aids. Your private practice audiologist has discussed your options for styles, features, benefits, and pricing. The next step is to take bilateral ear impressions, complete the paperwork, and order the devices.
Now comes the moment of reckoning. How do I pay for the hearing aids that I need? For some it is simple and for others it is a complex and daunting hurdle to better hearing.
Let’s take a look at all the options for payment:
Pull out your checkbook and write a check for the deposit and another for the balance due when you are fitted.
- Pull out your credit card (Visa, Master Card, or Discover) and slide it through the machine.
- Pull out your wallet and pay in cash. Yes, in this technological World we live in, cash is still available and accepted everywhere.
What if these options are not available to you? How will you get the hearing aids you need? Other options may be:
Transferring funds from another account to your checking account. These other sources may be your savings, CDs, IRA, or brokerage account.
- Asking for assistance from your family. They were the proponents and driving force in getting you to see the private practice audiologist in the first place. Surely, they will be glad to help mom or dad have a better quality of life. Maybe you are able to pay part and your family will be happy to cover the balance.
- Medicare does not cover hearing aids. However, you have special coverage from your former employer or union as a retiree or dependent spouse that may cover part or all of the cost. It is worth a phone call to find out.
- One commercial insurance does pay towards the cost of hearing aids. Keystone 65 has a special rider for about seven dollars per month that will reimburse the policyholder $500 once every thirty-six months for purchasing hearing aids. If you are considering a change in your insurance since you are on Medicare, this plan is worth investigating.
- Care Credit is a wonderful option to explore. They provide a special line of credit just like a credit card. Care Credit has a network of providers and can be used not only for hearing aids, but also dentistry, cosmetic, vision, LASIK surgery, veterinary, weight loss surgery, chiropractic, sleep medicine, and podiatry. Even acquiring information for your own curiosity, give them a call at 1-800-677-0718 or log onto their website at carecredit.com to learn more. They have options where you can pay in 6 or 12 months interest free or for longer periods of time at a competitive rate.
- For patients that do not have any possible avenue for purchasing these new hearing aids, there are still two more. First is Hear Now. This agency will provide hearing aids to a patient through a network of providers for about $125 per device. There is an application process and income requirement. Hear Now can be reached at 1-800-328-8602. Another option in Lions International. Yes, this is the Lions Club. They may not actively participate, but the information is available at lcif.org and search ‘hearing aids’ to read about the program.
Now that you have acquired the new hearing aids needed to help enhance the quality of your life, there is one more thing.
You need to wear them every day. Not just when you feel like it or remember to put them in, but you need to wear them every day. So many times people have traveled the aforementioned journey, received the new hearing aids and put them in the dresser drawer.
I have written many times before the number one factor in a patient’s success is MOTIVATION to get up every morning, get ready for the day, put the hearing aids in and wear them all day. I always tell my patients, if you are not motivated to wear hearing aids every day, please do not waste your time and money.
If you need hearing help, need hearing aids, have hearing aids that you do not wear, pick up the phone and give me a call. I will be glad to help.
I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!