There are very many people worldwide who need hearing aids but do not wear one citing unaffordable high costs.
So how much do hearing aids cost? These devices have been cited to cost more than laptops and unfortunately, private insurance companies and Medicare rarely cover hearing aid costs.
They may only reimburse one under only certain circumstances such as loss of hearing caused by injury. A good pair is likely to cost between $2,000 and $6,000. For this reason, the hearing aids are out of reach for many.
Some states and organizations maintain hearing aid loaner banks especially to assist kids, seniors, and low-income families purchase hearing aids. The Veterans Administration also provides veterans suffering from service-associated hearing disabilities.
Additionally, most American States maintain a vocational rehabilitation office that assists employees who need hearing aids to perform their jobs.
Why Hearing Aids Are So Expensive
If you compare the cost of hearing aids with most modern electronic equipment, you might be shocked at the price comparisons.
For instance, you can buy the latest smartphones, a gigantic flat screen home TV, an expensive treadmill, or a MacBook Pro using only a fraction of the total price for a hearing aid.
However, the cost of buying a hearing aid covers visits to the audiologist for the lifetime of the hearing aid, lifetime service costs, cleaning costs, and maintenance and repair costs. These costs include the high research costs for producing hearing aids and the cost of paying the audiologist to fit the hearing aid according to the particular patient’s needs.
Social Implications
There are many who cite cost as the major reason why they do not wear the hearing aids they obviously need. However, there are also some social considerations that impact on the decision to wear hearing aids.
There are many people who need hearing aids but persevere without them because they do not want to be seen as old people. There is related stigma about using hearing aids and the fear of being labeled old or geeky.
Another type of social implications is that as long as people who need hearing aids don’t wear them, the cost of not wearing will be higher than that of wearing them.
For instance, the cost of not providing a child with proper education due to the child’s hearing disability will have lifelong negative effects on the individual’s productivity.
When an employee cannot get hearing aids early as the problem develops, s/he will spend more time in hospital and visiting specialists instead of doing his/her normal duties. The cost of this to the economy is far much higher than what it would cost Medicare to cover hearing aids.
Shopping For Hearing Aids
Often, the prices displayed will only be for one hearing aid whereas in most cases two will be needed, not just one. So when shopping for hearing aids you have to take that into consideration.
Many types of hearing aids will also need various add-ons and these may not be included in the quoted price. You also need to inquire whether the price covers consultation with the audiologist, programming the hearing aids, cleaning, repairs, rehabilitation, and troubleshooting.
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