JustCare

Tag: Hearing aids

  • You can now buy hearing aids at the drugstore

    You can now buy hearing aids at the drugstore

    Finally, the day has come when you can buy hearing aids at the drugstore, as well as Walmart and other big box stores. No need for a visit to the audiologist or a prescription, reports Phil Galewitz for Kaiser Health News. And, no need to pay thousands of dollars in order to hear properly, at least for the millions of people with mild to moderate hearing loss.

    It’s shocking that it has taken so long for government to make it relatively easy and far more affordable for people to get hearing aids. Medicare still does not cover them. (Some Medicare Advantage plans cover a part of the cost.) The only explanation is that the hearing aid industry has had a lock on Congress.

    When Congress was considering covering hearing aids for people with Medicare during the debates around the Build Back Better Act, the administration and Democratic leaders insisted that they would only support the legislation if Medicare paid the full retail price for hearing aids! No bulk purchasing, competitive bidding or price negotiation. Insanity. In so doing, they killed this provision in the legislation because it was so costly.

    Hearing aids do not cost anywhere near the $3,000 to $6,000 people often pay for them to produce. The Veterans Administration is able to buy hearing aids for $500 a pair. And, you can be sure that the hearing aid manufacturers make money on their sales to the VA.

    Now, people can buy high quality hearing aids, without a prescription, directly from Walmart and other retail outlets for under $1,000 and as low as $199. Experts believe that the price of these hearing devices will continue to fall as more competitors enter the hearing aid market.

    Of course, some of these devices will work better than others, and some of the ones that work well will serve you better than others. Any hearing aid you buy will likely require your patience and need adjusting to work effectively. Before buying any of these new devices, talk to your doctor. Find out which ones make the most sense for you.

    Here’s more from Just Care:

  • Low-cost hearing aids should be available over the counter in 2022

    Low-cost hearing aids should be available over the counter in 2022

    Tens of millions of Americans, mostly older Americans, would benefit from hearing aids. If the Senate passes the Build Back Better Act, which the House has already passed, Medicare would  cover hearing aids under Part B. People with severe hearing loss tend to need expensive hearing aids, but Julie Jargon reports for the Wall Street Journal on low-cost hearing aids for people with mild to moderate hearing loss, which should be available over the counter in 2022.

    What’s happening? The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is in the last phase of approving the sale of hearing aids without the need for a medical exam or a visit to the audiologist. These hearing aids for people with mild to moderate hearing loss should cost no more than a few hundred dollars. That’s far less than the cost of hearing aids fitted by audiologists, which can easily be a few thousand dollars.

    How many people need hearing aids? Today, nearly 40 million Americans have hearing loss. But, only about 20 percent of people who need hearing aids for good hearing have hearing aids. They are too expensive, and there is a stigma to wearing them.

    How important is it to address hearing loss? Hearing aids bring significant benefits, even for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. Without a hearing aid, it can be hard to engage in social activities, leaving people prone to social isolation. For your health and well-being, it’s important to be socially engaged.

    Some experts believe that you need to be socially engaged in order to keep your mind sharp. One study of 600 adults over 12 years found that even people with mild hearing loss are twice as likely to develop dementia if they don’t use a hearing aid. People with moderate hearing loss are three times as likely to develop dementia if they don’t use a hearing aid. People with severe hearing loss quintuple their risk of getting dementia.

    What are your options today? Right now, many people only have the option of spending $5,000 on hearing aids, which is not a viable option at all. Until you can buy over-the counter hearing aids, consider getting a hearing test if you are struggling to hear. You can take a test through a free phone app, like Mimi. The test might help you know whether you will benefit from an over-the-counter hearing aid or whether you need to see an audiologist.

    How to choose an over-the-counter hearing aid? Several types should be available next year. Some will work in conjunction with your mobile phone, others will be simpler. Whichever you go for, make sure you can return it if it does not meet your needs.

    Hearing assistance is already available. Some hearing buds and apps amplify sounds or cancel out background noise. Some apps provide captions on your TV. Check out this link for a list of different apps available for free.

    And, if you’re not sure whether your hearing is as good as it could be, consider asking your friends whether they think your hearing would benefit from a hearing aid.

    Here’s more from Just Care:

  • Will over-the-counter hearing aids help people with Medicare?

    Will over-the-counter hearing aids help people with Medicare?

    Medicare does not cover hearing aids. But, more than 20 million people with Medicare suffer from hearing loss. Most of them cannot afford to go to the audiologist and buy hearing aids out of pocket. Will over-the-counter hearing aids help people with Medicare?

    Janice Neumann reports for the Washington Post that, today, only about one in four people with Medicare who need hearing aids use them. Hearing aids tend to be super expensive–typically between $1,500 and $7,000. So, low-cost hearing aids that do not require a prescription, much like low-cost reading glasses, should allow millions of older people to hear better.

    The good news: Congress passed a law in 2017, the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act, that will regulate personal sound amplification products (PSAPs) and allow them to be sold over the counter, without a prescription from an audiologist. They are designed for people with mild to moderate hearing loss, not people with severe hearing loss.

    The bad news: If people do not get their hearing aids fitted, they are less likely to hear well with them. But, Medicare will not pay for a hearing test from the audiologist or for the audiologist to fit the PSAP. The cost of the test and fitting could be several hundred dollars, more than what many people are able to spend.

    Under the new law, the PSAPs must be programmable. But, it is unclear what that means or whether that applies simply to volume. Time will tell how well the PSAPs will work for people.

    Medicare should cover the full range of hearing aids people need, along with the testing and fitting. Without hearing aids, people who struggle to hear are at greater risk of cognitive decline, depression and dementia. They also are at greater risk of falls.

    For now, take advantage of Medicare’s annual wellness benefit to have your hearing checked. At the very least, your doctor can let you know whether you would benefit from a hearing aid. And, if you also have Medicaid, see whether Medicaid covers hearing aids in your state. It sometimes does.

    Here’s more from Just Care:

  • Medicare should cover dental, vision and hearing services

    Medicare should cover dental, vision and hearing services

    A new paper in JAMA, by Amber Willink, Cathy Schoen and Karen Davis, explains why Medicare should cover dental, vision and hearing services. Right now, these three services, along with long-term care, are the biggest gaps in Medicare coverage. Lack of coverage for these services may lead to unnecessary hospitalizations and can push older adults into bankruptcy. Expanding Medicare to cover these services would benefit older adults, people with disabilities, health professionals and the Medicare program.

    A survey of people with Medicare in 2012 reveals that most people with Medicare end up going without needed vision, dental and hearing care. Three-quarters of people surveyed reported hearing difficulties and more than four out of five of them (84 percent) did not have a hearing aid.

    About 11 million people with Medicare (about 20 percent) said that they had trouble eating because of problems with their teeth, but seven in ten of them had not seen a dentist in the last year. (Here are some tips for getting free or low-cost dental care if you have Medicare.)

    Another 20.5 million people with Medicare reported problems with their eyesight, yet more than half of them (57 percent) had not had an eye exam in the past year. (Here are four things to do to protect your eyesight.)

    Cost is the primary reason people do not get these services. Hearing aids alone typically cost $4,700 for both ears. (That said, low-cost hearing aids may be available soon.) On average, people who received services spent $927 for dental services, $715 for vision services, and $1338 for hearing services.

    Not surprisingly, people with incomes under 100 percent of the federal poverty level were far less likely to get these critical services than people with incomes over 400 percent of the federal poverty level.  In most states, Medicaid does not pay for much if any vision, hearing or dental care.

    People who forego this care are far more likely to be hospitalized or to need emergency care than people who receive treatment for their vision, hearing and dental needs. There are currently two bills in Congress that would cover these services, but for now they appear to be going nowhere.

    Here’s more from Just Care:

  • Low-cost hearing aids coming to pharmacies

    Low-cost hearing aids coming to pharmacies

    There’s some good news for people struggling to afford hearing aids. The Food and Drug Administration has issued a guidance document that permits the sale of hearing aids without a prescription. Experts predict that, soon, buying low-cost hearing aids at the pharmacy over the counter should become the norm, much like buying reading glasses.

    Today, 30 million people in the U.S., mostly older adults, experience hearing loss. Hearing aids typically cost close to $5,000 a pair, $2,300 apiece on average, according to the White House blog. And, because Medicare does not cover hearing aids, most people have to pay the full cost of hearing aids if they want them.

    Fortunately, Medicaid covers hearing aids in 34 states and territories, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Unfortunately, more than 80 percent of people who would benefit from hearing aids today do not have them because of their cost and the cost of getting a medical evaluation.

    As a result of the FDA’s new guidance, you will no longer need to get examined before you can get a hearing aid. While the FDA regulation that people get a medical evaluation or sign a waiver in order to get a hearing aid remains in place, the FDA has said that it will not enforce the requirement.

    Once hearing aids can be bought without a prescription, many new manufacturers should surface and the price of hearing aids should come down significantly. Today, there is very little competition in the marketplace. Only six companies–one U.S. and five foreign–sell hearing aids in the United States.

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