Update on hubby getting Miracle Ear

[CTyankee]

He had his hearing tested. I was along as part of the test of his hearing. The whole interview, and the testing process, took a very long time (a couple of hours). We are going for the second appointment this afternoon and he will get the actual product.

As it turn out, he has a certain amount of nerve damage. The good news is that he is responding very well with the Miracle Ear products in both ears. The bad news is that the product is very expensive and Medicare doesn't pay for it. Luckily, due to inheritance, my husband has the money to pay for it.

Why does Medicare consider hearing aids "cosmetic?" It would seem to me that seniors driving around with impaired hearing is dangerous. Why is this not considered an "urgent" health need?

[babylonsister]

1. That's a question for the ages.

Include dental (abscesses can go to your brain and kill you) or eye glasses (obvious).

I finally broke down and got hearing aids last year; got tired of saying 'what/huh/excuse me?' and annoying those around me with the volumes I would crank anything to. My insurance ignored me.

[MontanaMama]

2. Right?

Not hearing well can be dangerous on a few levels I would think. Not to mention, it is a huge quality of life issue. My husband really needs to have his hearing checked out...but he is resisting the suggestion. He doesn’t have Medicare yet because he’s only 58. I didn’t know that it wasn’t covered until your OP. What a racket! Our insurance probably will deny it too. On a humorous note...I just told him the gist of your OP and his response was “Huh?” He’s only 6 feet away from me... Dude needs his ears checked...

[Ohiogal]

3. Good question!

Why does ANY medical insurance consider dental, vision, and hearing "extra"?

How can you eat with bad teeth? How can you see without glasses? How can you hear if you have profound hearing loss?

To me that's a question for the ages!

I wonder if some Medicare plans do pay for hearing aids? Does anyone know?

I'm glad your hubby is going to get some help. I know how awful it is to not be able to hear. Good luck!!!!

[Phoenix61]

4. The inability to hear causes all kinds of problems

Including depression and accelerated cognitive decline. Hearing aids should definitely be covered.

[in2herbs]

5. Our glorious health care industry used to consider reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy

to be cosmetic and the surgery was denied women for many years.

[Hoyt]

6. Hearing aids really aren't considered "cosmetic," they are just excluded from Medicare coverage like

cosmetic services.

While there is some coverage in UK and Canada, there are limits on the types of aids covered and how much is covered.

[Hela]

7. Phoenix beat me to it.

The effect of hearing loss on cognitive decline and other health issues (including mental health) are pretty well documented at this point.

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-hearing-loss-may-raise-your-risk-of-dementia/

Congrats on hubby getting hearing aids! Now if I could only get my 92-year-old mom to make her damn audiologist appointment that seems to keep falling to the bottom of her list.

[CTyankee]

8. It seems this has to be something that finally penetrates the brain or the person gets tired of not

hearing (or scared of not hearing when driving!).

[rurallib]

9. Update on Warren-Grassley OTC Hearing Aid Act

I talked to a hearing aid guy at Costco yesterday and he said he thought the FDA were gumming up the works on getting the cheaper hearing aids going. He was right. I imagine the Trump admin is behind this:

Senators Grassley and Warren Request Update on ‘OTC Hearing Aid Act’
https://www.hearingreview.com/inside-hearing/chuck-grassley-and-elizabeth-warren-request-update-on-otc-hearing-aid-act

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) are pressing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over its “lack of action on writing rules to allow the sale of over-the-counter hearing aids,” the US Senate Committee on Finance announced on its website.

The Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act, a bill led by Grassley and Warren, was signed into law in 2017. That law allows the FDA to promulgate regulations categorizing certain hearing aids as “over-the-counter,” and sets an August 2020 deadline for such rules.

Last October, the FDA announced that writing those rules would be a priority for the agency, but “has shown no sign of progress since,” according to the announcement.

“…although hearing aids are considered prescription products, they are not generally covered by health insurance or Medicare and can cost thousands of dollars. For seniors or those on limited budgets, at these prices, hearing aids may not be obtainable,” the senators wrote.

more at the link

[Archae]

10. I had to find out first if medical assistance (I'm on SSI) would cover my own test.

And if they would cover the purchase of both hearing aids I use.

They did.

The hearing aids were $1500 apiece!

But medical assistance picked up the tab, the only thing I do pay for are the batteries, they need changing about once a week.

But it was a HUGE difference, when I put the hearing aids in.

[CTyankee]

11. We'll see if the hearing test and the exam are covered.

He's gonna be on a monthly payment plan til the hearing aids are paid off.

Oh, well.