Linda Brandwin, R.N. Linda Brandwin is a registered nurse and a medical billing and claims specialist. For the past 10 years she has worked directly with insurance companies to give advice and guidance to the health care consumer. Readers may send email or write Linda Brandwin at 5500 Single Oak Hill Ct., Woodbridge, VA 22192.

Why aren't hearing aids covered by my insurance?
Sept. 5, 2003

Q: I have a hearing loss and need hearing aids. The hearing aids at my audiologist's office are extremely expensive. They will cost several thousand dollars. My medical insurance does not cover this. This seems unfair. So now I will be looking into the cheaper hearing aids I see advertised for just a few hundred dollars. Why aren't hearing aids covered?

A: You are correct; most insurance companies do not have coverage for hearing aids. And it is hard to believe that a little tiny hearing aid really costs $2000 or more. Most companies will defend the high price by stating the money goes toward research. And, in truth, the technology in hearing aids just over the last few years has grown enormously. Almost as soon as a new hearing aid comes out, it becomes obsolete. The advances have been tremendous. But so has the price tag.

Medical insurance companies, like any other business, are influenced by the public and politics. Perhaps the insurance companies will soon feel the pressure to provide hearing aid coverage with today's growing population's needs. Hopefully, hearing aid coverage can become as widespread as eye prescription coverage.

The expensive hearing aids that your audiologist recommends will most likely provide superior hearing enhancement over the less expensive hearing aids. The expensive hearing aids are custom made for your specific hearing problems. They are adjusted and fine tuned with a computer just for your needs. They are fitted to the shape of your ear canal by a special mold. A proper fit provides comfort and much better hearing.

The generic hearing aids may not come close to providing this kind of significant hearing improvement. Even though they are much cheaper, you may not be happy with the results.

The only suggestion that I have is to talk to your audiologist and perhaps you can work out a payment plan that is affordable for you. Do some comparison shopping by phone before you make an appointment. Ask the office if they have any kind of payment provisions available. Shop around. One audiologist may be charging a different amount for the same hearing aid. You might find that the hearings aids are a little more affordable than you originally thought.