If you are one of the millions of people who suffer from hearing loss, you know that it can be a major challenge to manage everyday life. Not being able to hear well can make it difficult to have conversations, work, and enjoy life. Here are a few reasons why better hearing can improve your quality of life. One of the most common solutions for people with hearing loss is to get a hearing aid. However, many people do not pursue this option because they cannot afford the cost of hearing aids. In this blog post, we will discuss options even if you can’t afford a hearing aid!
If you have hearing loss, the first step is to visit an audiologist to get your ears checked. They will be able to tell you what kind of hearing aid you need and an approximate range of how much it will cost. The average cost of a hearing aid can be thousands of dollars, which can be a major expense for many people. However, there are financing options or other options available that can help make the cost more manageable.
- Use Wells Fargo financing. Wells Fargo offers financing options with no or low-interest rates depending on your credit score. This can help you to get a hearing aid at an affordable price. You can also look into other financing options like CareCredit, which offers special financing for healthcare needs like hearing aids. If you are suffering from hearing loss, don’t give up hope! There are financing options available that can help you get the treatment you need. With a little research, you can find a financing option that works for you.
- If you are looking for more information on how to finance a hearing aid, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) has a great resource page that can help. They list different options for financing as well as other resources that can help with the cost of hearing aids.
- Another option to consider is getting in touch with your local Lions club. The Lions Club is an international service organization that helps people with hearing loss. They have a program called the Lions Hearing Aid Recycling Program (LHARP) that provides low-cost or free hearing aids to people in need. Find your local Lions Club here.
- Do you qualify for Medicaid insurance? If you do, hearing aids are usually covered. Medicaid is a state and federal insurance program that provides health coverage to low-income adults, children, pregnant women, people with disabilities, and the elderly. Each state has different qualifications for Medicaid, so be sure to check with your state’s Medicaid office to see if you qualify. If you do qualify for Medicaid, you can find a clinic that works with Medicaid to get your hearing aid.
- Does your insurance partner with a third party to get reduced pricing on hearing aids? For example, TruHearing partners with over 12,000 insurance companies and has helped reduce the cost of hearing aids for millions of people. They offer a wide range of affordable hearing aid options that can fit any budget. To find out if your insurance company partners with a third party, get in touch with your insurance.
- Try Costco. Costco is a popular membership-based warehouse club that offers a variety of services and products, including hearing aids. They have a wide range of hearing aid options available at a fraction of the cost of other retailers due to their bulk sales model. You do not need to be a member to get your hearing aid from Costco, but you will need to pay a non-member fee. This is another option to consider for lower-priced hearing aids.
If you are suffering from hearing loss, there are options available to help you get the treatment you need. With a little research, you can find a financing option that works for you.
Looking for some other communication strategies to help with understanding with or without a hearing aid?
- Visual cues are helpful to be able to lipread and pick up on nuances and expressions during a conversation. Mask use plays a big part in this. However, in situations without masks, such as in your home environment, ask your communication partner to face you and use visual cues.
- Be within five to seven feet. This will give you the best audibility. Don’t try to talk from another room!
- Use clear speech. Speech slowly and enunciate your words. Shouting does not help.
- Try a transcription app. There are free ones you can download (ie. Dictate).
Is a hearing aid still out of your price range? There are also other assistive devices that can give you some audibility. For example, a PocketTalker is a small, portable device that can amplify sound. It comes with a headset or earbud to wear and a microphone that you point toward the sound source. These start at around $100 and can be found online or at your local hearing aid center.
If you have difficulty hearing on the phone, there are also captioned phones available that show captions of the other person’s speech on the phone’s screen in real-time. CapTel is one option of a captioned phone and is available for free to people with hearing loss.
If you are suffering from hearing loss, don’t give up hope! There are options available to help you get the treatment you need. With a little research, you can find a financing option that works for you.
