03 Mar Are Your Ears Covered When Medicare and Medicaid Can’t Help?
Hearing loss continues to be a major public health concern, and for those with Medicare and Medicaid insurance, their search for hearing aid assistance is coming up short.
Wanda Brock encountered this obstacle when she hoped to finally get hearing aid assistance after 7 years of struggling with hearing loss. Now at the age of 66, she hoped her Medicare insurance would allow her to receive the hearing aids she desperately needed.
Medicare is a federally funded insurance program for individuals over 65, and younger individuals receiving social security disability benefits. Sadly, Medicare only covers hearing exams and does not cover hearing aids. Those with Medicaid, a jointly funded Federal-State insurance program for low income individuals, may receive partial or full coverage for their hearing aids depending on their state.
With help from the Hearing Aid Project, Wanda didn’t let the limits of her Medicare insurance stop her search. Wanda was officially approved to receive free hearing aids and services through the Hearing Aid Project on February 27! You can learn more about Wanda‘s story here.
Thanks to support of friends like you, Wanda was given the gift of hearing. But there are many more like Wanda who face Medicare and Medicaid obstacles. You can help by visiting our HELP OTHERS page to donate or get involved!
For those with Medicaid insurance you can view a full list of state Medicaid coverage for hearing services on the HLAA website: http://www.hearingloss.org/content/medicaid-regulations