I’m not a child, but I do have hearing aids. I just needed to buy two new hearing aids. My insurance didn’t cover a single penny of them. I had to pay $3,600 out of pocket. If I couldn’t afford that? Well, then my tinnitus and hearing loss would go untreated.
I wish insurers were forced to cover hearing aids for everyone who needs them. I’m not saying I should get them for free, but covering some of the cost would be appreciated given how much I’m paying for health insurance.
I’ll say it, durable medical equipment that is needed for a person to function as normally as possible and participate in society should be free at the point of service. That’s also true of all medically indicated care and basic preventative medical care.
I won’t argue with you. At the same time, even if we had “you need to pay some small co-payment to get hearing aids,” it would be better than the current situation of “you’d better have thousands of dollars that you’re willing to spend on these.”
I should also add that my last hearing aid (I went from 1 ear to 2) cost me $1,100 five years ago. These are expected to last 5 years and then I’ll likely need to get another set. So that’s $3,600 I need to spend every 5 years. It’s the cost of a decent cell phone every year just so I can hear and not be driven crazy by the ever present ringing of my tinnitus. That’s a lot of money that I need to spend just to function.
That sucks, friend. As a long time musician that struggles with tinnitus, I totally f****** feel for you. It hasn’t affected my hearing, but I know it’s coming.
Don’t get me started on health care. I think it should be a part of our taxes (not free) and no one should be without basic healthcare and wellness treatment. How it would work in this cluster f*** environment of personality centered patriotism and unfettered profiteering, I have no idea. Would love to be able to have a legitimate conversation about it without it being a trope-fest of buzzwords.
"Most private health insurance in California designates children’s hearing aids as cosmetic or elective devices. "
TIL hearing aids for deaf kids are considered cosmetic. I guess looking cool is better than hearing them talk about your outfit.
I’m not a child, but I do have hearing aids. I just needed to buy two new hearing aids. My insurance didn’t cover a single penny of them. I had to pay $3,600 out of pocket. If I couldn’t afford that? Well, then my tinnitus and hearing loss would go untreated.
I wish insurers were forced to cover hearing aids for everyone who needs them. I’m not saying I should get them for free, but covering some of the cost would be appreciated given how much I’m paying for health insurance.
I’ll say it, durable medical equipment that is needed for a person to function as normally as possible and participate in society should be free at the point of service. That’s also true of all medically indicated care and basic preventative medical care.
I won’t argue with you. At the same time, even if we had “you need to pay some small co-payment to get hearing aids,” it would be better than the current situation of “you’d better have thousands of dollars that you’re willing to spend on these.”
I should also add that my last hearing aid (I went from 1 ear to 2) cost me $1,100 five years ago. These are expected to last 5 years and then I’ll likely need to get another set. So that’s $3,600 I need to spend every 5 years. It’s the cost of a decent cell phone every year just so I can hear and not be driven crazy by the ever present ringing of my tinnitus. That’s a lot of money that I need to spend just to function.
That sucks, friend. As a long time musician that struggles with tinnitus, I totally f****** feel for you. It hasn’t affected my hearing, but I know it’s coming.
Don’t get me started on health care. I think it should be a part of our taxes (not free) and no one should be without basic healthcare and wellness treatment. How it would work in this cluster f*** environment of personality centered patriotism and unfettered profiteering, I have no idea. Would love to be able to have a legitimate conversation about it without it being a trope-fest of buzzwords.