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Resources
for People Who Can't Afford Hearing Aids and Cochlear Implants
by Paula Rosenthal, J.D.
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Hearing loss affects millions of
people worldwide. It touches every demographic group, affecting the young,
the aged, the wealthy, the poor and people from all ethnic backgrounds.
With an accurate hearing assessment and proper fitting by an audiologist,
hearing aids can offer many people with hearing loss a second chance. For
those who do not gain significant benefit from hearing aids, a cochlear
implant may be an option. Once aided, they may be able to effectively
participate in educational, social and professional settings.
In the United States, many health insurance carriers cover eyeglasses.
Unfortunately, hearing aids are not typically covered. A cochlear implant
device and its surgical operation are sometimes covered. With prices
ranging from $600 for an analog hearing aid and more than $4000 for
digital, hearing aids are financially out of reach for many families.
Cochlear implant surgery and equipment ranges from $40,000 to $50,000. Due
to their high costs, some people struggle without any device or accept
hearing aids that don’t offer significant benefit. As a result, adults are
often isolated from friends and colleagues, forced to change jobs and are
unable to easily pursue further educational and professional training. For
infants and young children, the impact of unaffordability can be
devastating to the development of their speech and language. Without
appropriate access to sounds and speech, they will have great difficulty
with comprehension and learning to talk.
Results of a hearing aid insurance poll taken in March 2001 by the Listen
Up web site revealed some disturbing facts and comments among its
participants. Eleven percent of the adults polled were doing without
hearing aids in one or both ears because of the cost. Of the 96 children
in the poll, 99% had health insurance coverage, but only 16% had their
hearing aid costs covered by a private health insurance plan. One parent
commented, “Our son went a very long time--about 3 years--with hearing
aids that provided little or no benefit to him. We didn't have the means
to purchase appropriate aids without the help of insurance…” View the
complete results of this poll at http://www.listen-up.org/poll.htm.
If you are unable to afford hearing aids for yourself or your child or are
a cochlear implant candidate and your insurance won’t cover it, view the
resources below to learn about funding sources that may be able to assist
you. No one should be without an appropriate device that can help him hear
and participate fully in his community. Remember these important tips when
pursuing financial assistance:
1. Be diligent and follow up regularly.
2. Be prepared to show significant financial need.
3. Document medical and professional need.
4. Keep records of all inquiries and replies.
RESOURCESOrganizations
Hear Now, the U.S. program
of the Hearing Foundation, provides hearing aids to adults and children
who are legal residents of the US, meet the financial criteria and are
approved for assistance. Hear Now is an organization of last resort; all
other options for service must be used before Hear Now benefit is
approved. Contact Hear Now at 1-800-648-4327, by fax at 952-828-6946 or
by mail at 6700 Washington Avenue S, Eden Prairie, MN 55344. (TTY number
and web site are not currently available.)
State Vocational Rehabilitation Programs
- If you need a hearing aid or similar device to help you perform your
job or obtain employment, contact your local state vocational
rehabilitation office. Click here for listings:
http://www.parac.org/svrp.html
Northwest Lions Foundation for Sight & Hearing – offers a hearing aid
bank and serves the Northwest region of the U.S. Contact them at:
901 Boren Avenue, Suite 810, Seattle, WA 98104-3534, phone (206)
682-8500 or (800) 847-5786, web site
http://www.lshfoundation.org/
Online Resources
Visit these comprehensive listings for additional
sources of financial assistance.
Sources of Hearing Aid and Cochlear Implant Funding
http://www.listen-up.org/haidfund.htm
Hearing loss can have lifelong effects on children and adults. Hearing
aids, cochlear implants and other assistive technology are available.
Their high cost prevents many people from receiving them and can result in
feelings of isolation, frustration and depression. If you know someone who
needs financial assistance so they can hear, direct them to these
resources that are available. It can make a significant difference in
their lives both personally and professionally.
| Paula Rosenthal,
J.D. is married and has three children. She, her husband and
daughter are all hearing impaired. Her sons have normal hearing. A
law school graduate, Paula is the publisher of
http://www.HearingExchange.com, an online community for people
with hearing loss, parents of deaf and hard of hearing children
and professionals. She is also a writer and speaker on hearing
loss and related issues. To contact her, send an email to
info@hearingexchange.com. |
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© 2000-2007 Paula Rosenthal and Taylor Rose, Inc. All
rights reserved. For reprint permission, send an email with your request
to info@hearingexchange.com.
This article is one
of many in the
Paula’s Pearls group of syndicated content from HearingExchange. It
may be reproduced under certain conditions. Email Paula at
info@hearingexchange.com
for further information.
Click here
for the full list of Paula’s Pearls articles available for syndication.
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