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Making Sense of the Dollars and Cents of Hearing Aids

10 Apr Making Sense of the Dollars and Cents of Hearing Aids

Posted at 08:37h in Articles by

So you’re ready to start on the path to better hearing. You’ve had the hearing test, chosen your hearing care professional, and you’ve worked with them to determine what solution is best for you.

Now comes time to make the next big step and determine how you will afford to embark on the new journey to better hearing.

For many individuals, hearing aids are something that they have to budget for, but armed with a little information, we can work with you to find the best way to help you on your path. There are differemt payment/funding options available:

1) Paid Upfront: for those who have the money saved, they often opt to pay completely in full upfront. This helps them remove the stress of the financial side of the journey, so they can just focus on hearing better.

2) Financing Options: For those who are unable to pay in full up front, we work with our patients to arrange payment plans that will make hearing aids affordable over time. Rather than paying in full up front, they stretch their payments over a mutually agreed upon amount of time. We can arrange this to happen automatically so you do not need to visit a clinic to make the payment. There is no interest associated with the payment plan. This allows those who do not have the money saved to still start on the journey to better hearing, and pay for it as they go along.

3) Funding: Unfortunately, for us Nova Scotians, there is no general government funding (e.g. MSI) to help with hearing aids for adults. In some provinces (e.g. Ontario), there are programs that cover a portion of the hearing aid with a doctor’s note. Nova Scotia is 1 of 2 provinces with absolutely no help available for the average hearing impaired adult. For some people, they qualify to apply for funding through the following associations:

  • Veteran’s Affairs: If you served in the Canadian Forces, and feel that your hearing was changed due to your military service, you may be eligible to apply for hearing loss benefits with DVA to help with the cost of hearing aids.
  • Workers Compensation Board: If you work at a noisy workplace with no hearing protection available to you, and you are not retired, you may be eligible to apply for hearing aid benefits if the audiologist determines the hearing loss may be work-related. In this case, it is necessary to apply prior to retirement.
  • Community Services: If you are on social assistance and require hearing aids, you may apply for assistance with community services.
  • Teamworks: Teamworks is an organization that helps those with disabliities in the workforce. If you are working with hearing loss, and feel your job is being affected by your hearing loss, you may be able to apply for funding. Please visit teamworkbridge.org or contact us for more information.
  • NIHB: Health Canada provides eligible First Nations People and Inuit with necessary medical devices, including hearing aids. If you meet these qualifications, and require a hearing aid, we can help with the application for hearing aids.

4) Private Insurance: For individuals with private health insurance, most companies cover some portion of hearing health. Some individuals have minimal coverage, while others have excellent hearing benefits. All it takes is a phone call to your insurance company to inquire.

Don’t assume you can’t afford to hear better. We commit to working with every patient to evaluate the different options available.Contact us at 482-2222 to see how we can help you hear better.